


30 Day Fairy Tale Challenge

by NaughtyPastryChef



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Bad Puns, F/M, Het and Slash, Humour, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other, Temporary Character Death, fairytales - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-14 06:04:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 41,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1255624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaughtyPastryChef/pseuds/NaughtyPastryChef
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty days of re-written fairy tales, some literal and some not. Most will be McKirk, but other ships will be identified at the beginning of each chapter. More tags may be added later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Riddle

**Author's Note:**

> Would not be possible without Wewillspockyou.

Prince Leonard is getting another lecture from his mother on just how poor they are. Blah, blah, blah. They have nothing left but their titles, and he could care less about the titles, really. He rolls his eyes and wanders off in the middle of her repeated rant. He can hear her screeching at him as he walks away.

He never asked to be a prince anyway. He goes and finds his best friend and loyal manservant, Montgomery. Monty’s heard that the prince of the neighboring country is bored and looking for a challenge. He’ll marry anyone who can stump him with a riddle. Leonard thinks this is brilliant. An excellent distraction for him and the chance to shut his mother up with all her whining.

He tells his mother the plan and gets her “permission” to go. He rolls his eyes as he watches Monty pack their bags, like he needed permission. He’s a sixteen year old man, old enough to get married, even.

He and Monty set out along their way. The first night, they run into a terrible storm and take shelter with an evil witch and her daughter. The daughter is nice and kinda cute too, but she tells them that the witch is gonna try to kill them. NOT COOL. So they avoid all the food by saying that they are on a gluten-free, all natural diet. So far, so good.

In the morning, however, she offers tea and damn, but the prince could really go for a good cup of tea. But the cute daughter says it’s no good, so he has Monty head out and “trip” and spill it. Waste of good tea, if you ask him. So the tea, like, kills their horse on contact and then this creepy raven comes over and starts eating the horse.

Monty kills the raven to take along the road with them, not the best road snack but better than the gluten free nonsense that they’d been talking about before. Leonard takes the one remaining horse While Monty walks alongside with the dead raven.

They come to an inn and are totally relieved to see people that don’t wanna kill them on sight. They are both feeling pretty good, since the inkeep recognized the prince and offered Whiskey in their tea. They offer up the raven for the nights dinner and the inkeep accepts.

Then, these totally awful bandit-types show up! The prince and his faithful servant hide away and watch in amazement as the bandits eat the raven and die terrible deaths. Apparently, the raven was poisoned like the horse. That was some good poison. Anyway, the inkeep thanks the Handsome Prince and his servant and they high-tail it outta there with two new horses, tanks to the dead bandits, and onto the next country.

The prince that issued the challenge, is totally hot. Leonard likey. So he thinks and thinks and thinks while he waits his turn for an audience. Prince James is blonde and buff with gorgeous blue eyes and a smile that lights up a room. He has a servant sitting next to him on the dais and that chick is icy cold and gorgeous too.

Leonard thinks he needs to import some of the water back to his won kingdom if all of the people grow up to be this sexy over here.

Finally, it’s his turn and he’s just come up with a riddle when he steps up to introduce himself while Monty and the other prince’s servant make eyes at each other.

“What slew none, and yet slew twelve?” Prince James looked completely flustered and demanded that he be given ample time to sort out the answer. Leonard smiled at him cockily and agreed, provided that he be given somewhere to spend the night. James agreed too quickly to be trusted.

Leonard may be pretty, but his mama didn’t raise a fool.

That night, Monty slept in Leo’s bed, while Leo slept in the servant’s bed just around the corner. He waited and watched (and dozed, man it’d been a long few days!) and finally saw James’ hot servant girl head into his bedroom. He snuck to the door and listened in to hear her ask for the answer to the riddle, but Monty knew what the plan was so he jumped out of the bed and grabbed the robe right off her smokin hot body. She screamed and ran while Monty and Leo high-fived.

An hour later, she showed up again, but they pulled the same trick but this time she walked away like a queen, naked hips swaying in the moonlight. Monty wanted to follow her to her chambers, but Leo said no and made him seek his own bed. Leo finally took the soft, down filled bed in the chambers he was assigned. Just as he was about to fall asleep, his door opened and James himself stood in the doorway.

Leo gave up on feigning sleep as James drew close to his bed and leaned down over him.

“If I fuck you, will you tell me the answer? I really don’t wanna get married.” Leo thought about it for a moment, savoring his ultimate victory. James would be mad as hell for a while, but if the night went well, he’s be begging for it soon enough. Leo nodded and James dropped his dressing gown and climbed onto the soft feather bed. When he left, he forgot to take his dressing gown.

The next morning, James publicly announced that he’s solved the riddle.

“A raven ate from a dead, poisoned horse. Then twelve men ate the raven and died from it.” Leo nodded that this was the correct answer, but that James had cheated. He told the judges that James had come into his room the night before and asked him for the answer. For proof, he provided James’ dressing gown, left on the floor in the heat of the moment the night before.

James was furious, but Leo smiled like the sun when the judges demanded a wedding frock be made from the abandoned dressing gown.

“Jim, what did I tell you about tellin that story?” Leo frowned at his husband. The smile fell from Jim’s face.

“To not to.” Leo smiled and kissed his cheek as he swept from the room.

“That’s right. Be a good boy James, and don’t tell it again or I’ll have to punish you.” Jim smiled at the closed door. Maybe he should write his version of the story down.


	2. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one...is not a fairy tale. But it was on the list so I've done my best. I thought a little sunday fluff would do some good in the world.

“Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”  
“Peter papa packed a pick of peppered pickles.”

Jim crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway, watching Bones and their son David with a fond smile on his face. Bones laughed at Davy’s attempt and gently corrected him, telling him to try again.

“What’s up my two favorite boys?” Jim let himself into the room and sat cross-legged on the floor by his husband and their son.

“Daddy’s teaching me a tongue twister.” Jim smiled and tousled David’s hair as he listened to him sound out the words slowly.

“Oh yeah? That’s cool, who’s winning?” David looked up at Jim, then Bones and back to Jim with a puzzled look on his face.

“Winning?” He asked in his little boy voice as Bones turned to Jim with a groan.

“Not everything is about winning Darlin, don’t do this.” Bones warned as Jim upped the wattage on his smile and searched his mind for more tongue twisters, knowing Bones would never back down from a challenge, especially in front of David.

“She sells sea shells by the sea shore.” Jim said and Bones parroted perfectly, though he gritted his teeth.

“Six sleek swans swim sleekly southwards.” Jim smiled as he watched Davy’s eyes go wide in amazement. Bones repeated it even faster and raised his eyebrow. Jim decided to up his game.

“Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.  
Spread it thick, say it quick!  
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.  
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!  
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.  
Don't eat with your mouth full!”

Jim yelled the last and pulled Davy into his lap as he turned to face Bones head on. Bones was smiling big now, showing his dimples and his teeth as he perfectly pronounced the tongue twister. Jim decided to go for broke.

“To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,  
In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,  
Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,  
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!  
To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,  
In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,  
Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock,  
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!  
A dull, dark dock, a life-long lock,  
A short, sharp shock, a big black block!  
To sit in solemn silence in a pestilential prison,  
And awaiting the sensation  
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!”

Jim cheered as he looked at Bones’ dumbfounded face. Davy tured around in his lap to give him a high five and a kiss on the cheek, the rules in their house for whoever won the contest of the moment. Sometimes is was who could build the biggest block tower, sometimes it was who could flip the pancakes the highest in the air. Whatever the contest was, the winner got a high five and a kiss.

Jim thanked Davy for his kiss then set him aside and told him to head out into the kitchen for dinner. He leaned forward for his kiss from Bones, who dryly pecked his cheek before whispering at him.

“You do have a talented tongue, but I knew that already darlin.”


	3. The Ugly Duckling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is just a little short; a ficlet. I wanted to write about a different character than I usually do so, here is my attempt at The Ugly Duckling starring Pavel Chekov.

Pavel Chekov was different from all of his brothers and sisters growing up, and they never let him forget it. He was not as strong as them; not as big as them and he was much smarter than them but he never felt like this was a good thing.

His siblings teased him, because he was different; because he couldn’t pull back papa’s bow to shoot dinner. His papa had to get him a special, small axe for when it was his turn to cut the wood for the fire, because he couldn’t lift the big ones that his siblings used.

While his body refused to grow in bulk, his brain grew. He was so smart; his teachers praised him constantly and liked to write home to his mama about how impressive he was. Pavel especially liked math and science; it all just came easily to him.

But it was another thing that made him different from his siblings. They teased him, pulled his hair, pushed him down, called him names and stole his homework. He couldn’t rest, he couldn’t relax. He tried to stop being good in school, but then his teachers wrote mean notes home to mama about how he wasn’t trying anymore. Mama got really disappointed with him and called him into her room to talk.

“Pasha, why are your teachers unhappy with you? They say you are not trying? You are not doing your work?” Pavel looked down at his shoes so he wouldn’t have to look mama in her eyes.

“I just wanted to be more like my brothers and sisters. They are big and strong and do not care about school. They tease me and pull my hair when I can not do the outside things with them.” He scuffed his toes on the floor bashfully, but mama wrapped him in a hug, then tilted his head up to look at her.

“Oh, my pasha. You are different; this is nothing to be ashamed of. Pah on your brothers in sisters for making fun of you. I say they should pay more attention to their schooling, not to make you feel bad about yours. You are my smart, wonderful boy. You be yourself my Pasha, and you will see one day.”

From that day on, Pavel thought of his mama’s words every time someone made fun of him for being himself. He kept his head held high as he walked around under his tall stack of books. If he made time to learn about Russian Sambo too, well, that was his business.

Pavel was accepted into Starfleet in San Francisco at the age of 13. His brothers and sisters were green with envy, but Pavel, he just looked at his mama as she beamed her happiness. That was where he belonged, she told him. His rightful place, bringing honor to his family and country by being himself.

Brilliant, little Pavel Chekov.


	4. Rumplestiltskin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love to my lovely Heather...without whom this chapter would be a whole lot more awful. Thanks to everyone who is reading, I'm having so much fun and I hope you enjoy it too!

Once upon a time in a not too distant land called Iowa, there lived a boy and his stepfather. The boy was beautiful of face and heart and his name was Jim. Jim worked very hard on their dairy farm, doing all of his daily chores and helping the people who came to the farm to buy their cheese, milk and other wares.   
  
His stepfather, Frank, was a drunkard. He didnt work hard at all, leaving it all up to poor Jim. Frank spent most of his days bragging on what Jim could do, trying to outdo the other farmers in the area, but one day he went too far.  
  
“Jimmy’s so good, he could turn that milk into fine wine fit for the king.” Frank’s drinking buddies looked at him askance.   
  
“Frank, bro, that doesn’t even make sense. No one could do that.” One of them replied through tears of laughter. Frank shook his head and looked at them mulishly.  
  
“Nope, he can do it. How do you think I can afford to drink all the time? I don’t pay for it, it’s all Jimmy.” Now his friends went silent, trying to puzzle this out. How could someone turn milk into wine?  
  
The rumour, once it had been started, made its way through the kingdom like a secret around a small town. Everyone heard it and talked about it. Eventually, it even made its way to the king’s ears.   
  
The king was doubtful, but if someone in his kingdom had this kind of power, it should belong to him and no other. So he sent his servants to fetch the boy that could turn milk into fine wine.  
  
Jim had heard nothing of the rumor, instead happily focusing on his job and his daily life. It was lonely, and sometimes boring, but simple things made Jim smile. The lowing of the cows, the way the sun shined on the fields, the chirping of birds in the morning; all of these things brought a smile to the face of this sweet boy. So when the king’s servants appeared at his home to bring him before the king, Jim was stunned and a little scared. He demanded to know what he’d done. The servants grabbed Frank on their way to the palace and forced him to explain.  
  
It was the first time that Jim had ever grown truly angry.  
  
“Why would you say something like that Frank? What have you done? There’s no way I can do this and we’re both going to be killed by the king!” As they were dragged off, no one noticed the small creature that followed them.  
  
Kodos had loved Jim from afar for a long time, having been taken in by his sweet face and even sweeter demeanor. He followed Jim around all the time and made bad things disappear before Jim could be disturbed by them. When he heard what that fool Frank had been saying, Kodos came up with a plan. He would help Jim make the impossible happen, then make Jim his own.  
  
Jim and Frank were given an audience with the king. Frank repeated his impossible claims and Jim kept his mouth shut, knowing better than to try and dispute with his stepfather in front of the king. The king thought for a moment, then gave his ultimatum.  
  
“Jim shall be given a room in my castle for the night and another room full of fresh milk. He shall be locked into the room at dusk and let out at daybreak. All of the milk must be turned into wine by that time, or both of you shall pay the consequence.” Jim bowed his head in acknowledgement, feeling heartbroken. He’d never asked for much, but he’d hoped to live longer than these short years he’d already had.   
  
At dusk he allowed himself to be locked alone in the chamber which was full of barrels of fresh milk. Jim began to weep. As Jim sat on the floor and wept, Kodos let himself into the room silently, through the window.   
  
“Crying won’t help you boy.” Jim looked up in shock at the small man before him.  
  
“Who are you? How did you get in here? What do you want?” Kodos slid over to Jim’s side, overeager to be within touching distance after all this time of watching from afar.  
  
“Who I am is not important. How I got here is not important. I’m not here for me boy, I’m here for you.” He absently patted Jim’s knee and got a thrill from the contact.  
  
“What can you do? Do you know how to turn milk into wine?” Jim sniffled and rubbed at his eyes in exhaustion. He wished for his farm and his house and his bed; he wished for anything but here.  
  
“Why, yes I can. For a price.” Jim cast his mind about for something to pay the little man; he’d been locked into the room in little more than the clothes on his back and he never had money. He felt the collar of his shirt pulled down slightly. He shivered at the brush of foreign fingers on his neck.  
  
“I think that necklace will do well.” Jim didn’t want to give up his necklace, but he wanted to die even less than that, so he unclasped it and handed it over, watching as the little nameless man put it in a pouch on his hip.  
  
“Let us get to work then boy.”  
  
At dawn, the guards opened the door to Jim’s room and found that every barrel of milk was now fine wine. He shouted for the king, waking Jim who had finally fell asleep on the floor in exhaustion.   
  
The king was impressed and told Jim this. But Jim, who was a good person and couldn’t sense falsity in people, didn’t know that the king was greedy also. He tricked Jim into staying for another night, to prove that it wasn’t some kind of trick. He refused to let Jim leave the castle grounds, and placed a guard on him at all times, lest he escape.  
  
Jim’s guard was a handsome fellow named Leonard. He seemed gruff and grumpy to Jim, at first. But Jim loved to talk and he loved people and eventually Leonard came around and smiled and joked back. Leonard confessed to Jim that it was worth more than both their lives for him to let Jim escape, or he would. He told Jim that he hated to see such a sweet, smart, beautiful boy be tricked into this farce by the mean old king.  
  
Jim believed him, and took solace in this friend that had been granted to him on what was certain to be his last day alive. At dusk, Jim was led to a different chamber in the castle, this one twice as big and filled with twice as many buckets of milk. He was not given twice as much time to perform his miracles.  
  
Jim sat in the corner, chewing his lip and trying to decide if he could call for his nameless friend from the night before to turn all of the milk into wine again. He never had the chance to try, for the funny little man appeared in front of him at that instant.  
  
“Well now Jimmy, we are in a pickle, aren’t we? I suppose you’ll be needing my help again tonight. What kind of payment do you have for me?” Jim chewed his lip as he turned his most prized possession around and around his finger; his father’s signet ring. He’d died on the day Jim was born, leaving Jim the ring and nothing else but heartbreak. Jim sighed, reaching his decision, and twisted the ring off his finger, averting his eyes as he dropped it into the little man’s hand.  
  
His father’s ring would do him no good if he were dead.  
  
The little man once again worked his magic and at dawn the king himself opened the door to Jim’s chamber to see for himself if the work had been done. His face took on a look of unholy glee when he saw that it had been done. He lightly kicked Jim’s side to wake him and informed him that one more night would suffice as proof that this was not some kind of trick.  
  
Jim was crestfallen; he thought he would be able to go home. He was trying to think of a way to convince the king to simply let him go home when his guard from the day before came into the room to give the king a message. Leonard gave the king his message and the king sprinted away, leaving Leonard and Jim alone.  
  
Jim opened his mouth to confess how he’d been doing everything but he was cut off by Leonard taking long strides over to him, cupping the back of his head and kissing him. Jim, after a moment of surprise, kissed back with all of the feeling he could muster. Jim wrapped his arms around Leonard’s strong back and allowed himself to be dipped towards the floor and kissed like no one had kissed him before.  
  
Leonard lowered Jim slowly to the floor, blanketing Jim’s body with his own without breaking their kiss. Leonard slotted his knee between Jim’s thighs and rolled his hips. Jim arched up into him with a breathless groan before pushing him away.  
  
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. You are everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything Jim.” Leonard panted into Jim’s shoulder. Jim looked up at the ceiling, feeling the cold of the floor seep into his bones.  
  
“You’re all I ever wanted too. But the king has demanded one more night of magic and I don’t think I can succeed. I don’t want to lose you.” Jim closed his eyes in fear and weariness as he felt Leonard shifting above him. He felt large, warm hands cup his face and tilt it so that he was looking into gorgeous hazel eyes.  
  
“Get some rest my love and let me talk to the prince. He may be the only person who can help us now.” He kissed Jim again, a sweet peck that left Jim’s lips tingling with sensation, and was gone.   
Jim slept the day away, unable and unwilling to face the horror of what was coming that night. He allowed himself to be led from the room and fed and bathed but asked to be returned to his pallet immediately after. He slept and saw nothing more of Leonard.   
  
Just before dusk, the king and his guards arrived and brought Jim to yet another room in the castle, even bigger than before. Jim’s stomach plummeted as he searched the accumulated crowd for any hint of Leonard and found nothing. He chewed on his lip as he gave the king his full attention.  
  
“This is your final test. If you can perform your magic in this room tonight, I will allow you to marry the prince and live here, in peace, forever.” Jim took in the look on the king’s face and tried not to vomit. That did not sound like a happy ending for him, but he forced a wan smile onto his face and thanked the king for his amazing generosity. He shut the door in the king’s face.  
  
Jim immediately went to the farthest corner of the room and called out to his little friend. His friend didn’t appear. Jim tried for an hour but without a name to call out he was losing hope and quickly. Just as he sat down and began to cry, the little man appeared.   
  
He was angry and muttering to himself and it scared Jim so badly that he wanted to hide. He was spotted and the little man’s anger vanished as he beheld Jim’s sad face. In his head he held such love for Jim that he could not bear to see him suffer.  
  
He sat at Jim’s feet and patiently waited for Jim’s tears to dry up. The little man reached out to wipe the tears off Jim’s face but Jim, unthinking, flinched away from the contact. Jim looked away as the little man became angry again.  
  
“I have nothing to give you for another night of magic. No tokens left to me.” Jim whispered.  
  
“You have you. Give me yourself. You can be mine forever.” The little man replied. Jim swallowed thickly, forcing away his tears. It was bonding forever to the little man or death. Jim thought harshly of himself for choosing life, in whatever form.  
  
“I’m yours. Save me.” The little man was as good as his word and changed all of the milk into wine once again. Jim, numb and weak, sat calmly on the floor in the spot he’d claimed as his own. The little man knelt down in front of him and tried to make Jim focus, but Jim could not.  
  
“I will come for you in one week. The king is going to try and make you marry his son on that day, but I shall take you away from all that just before the appointed hour. I will see you then, my Jim.” He vanished just in time for the door to open once again.  
  
The king, queen and all of their entourage entered the chamber in amazement. Even the third morning in a row couldn’t lessen the impact of such a miracle. The king, while greedy, wanted Jim to succeed, but now was forced to allow the child to marry his eldest son. He reached through the crowd and grabbed the boy’s arm to pull him forward and out of the throng.  
  
Jim saw the king reach into the crowd and pull someone forward and it turned out to be his Leonard. Leonard was the prince that Jim was now betrothed to. Jim nearly wept from happiness, until he remembered. The little man was going to steal him away before he could have the wedding of his dreams.  
  
Jim allowed himself to have one day of happiness; one day to enjoy his beloved and unchained palace life before he confessed all to Leonard. He had one day of pure light, if Leonard turned him in to the king to be executed, then so be it. Leonard, however, surpassed even Jim’s lofty opinion of him.  
  
“Jim, I don’t care how it happened, only that it brought you into my life. We can’t let anyone else know. And we need to figure out how to save you from him. Now that I have you, I can’t let you go.” Jim fell into his arms in thanks.  
  
The next day, Jim tried to call the little man to him as he sat alone in his private chambers. He made himself feel needy and low, two things that he knew the little man could sense. He was not shocked when he appeared in front of him.  
  
“Eager for our bonding, my sweet? Did you need me to take you away early?” The little man simpered, and Jim tried not to sneer at him in disgust.  
  
“I cannot go with you, for you tricked me. I could never trust you and I will never love you. I will be a disobedient partner and will forever try to escape.” The little man stomped his foot in anger and shock. Jim allowed his face to soften.  
  
“Is there not some way that I could repay you without giving you my life?” Kodos thought long and hard about Jim’s proposal. Jim barreled on speaking.  
  
“I have jewels; money; I’m to be married to the prince and he will rule the land one day. I can get you anything you desire.” Kodos paused at last, cocking his head and looking deep into Jim’s perfect blue eyes.  
  
“I desire perfection. I will name my price and give up my claim to you only if you can guess my name. You have four days and three guesses at the original appointed time.” Then, he vanished.  
  
Leonard and their housekeeper, Scotty, stepped from out of the shadows as Jim willed his heart rate back down to normal. Dealing with the little man set him on edge.  
  
“Scotty, you need to find him. You are the best tracker in all the land. You are our only hope of saving Jim from that fate.” Scotty nodded and, without one word, left the room to begin his search.  
  
Four days later, Jim and Leonard were beginning to worry. They’d not heard from Scotty since he’d left on his search and the hour was drawing near. Both were dressed as though their wedding was to take place and they were pacing their chambers in the palace, praying that it would.  
  
The little man showed at the appointed hour and Jim sent Leonard from the room, roughly, to find Scotty or their dreams would be crushed.  
  
“It is time lad, for you to guess my name or come away with me forever.” Jim chewed his lip in thought. He had looked at naming book after naming book to try and guess this name. He’d looked at riddles and parables and stories that mothers told their children at bedtime. He used his first guess.  
  
“Rumplestiltskin?” It was a long shot, an odd name he’d seen in a book of stories written in a language he didn’t know or understand. The little man slapped his hands on his knees and burst out laughing.  
  
“No, laddie. Two more.” Jim saw Leonard in the hallway from the corner of his eye. He begged for a moment to go to the bathroom.  
  
“I found Scotty, but his tongue’s been cut out. He knows the answer.” Jim’s eyes went wide as he took in the bedraggled form of Scotty. There was blood staining his shirt and he was moving his mouth to talk and making nothing but unintelligible mumbles.  
  
“Can you write it down?” Scotty nodded frantically and Leonard fetched a quill and paper. Jim’s heart soared. He was going to be able to live his own life, happily forever. He stepped back into the room and sat down before the little man.  
  
“Is it Nero?” The little man shook his head and smiled at Jim.  
  
“One left.” He said simply and Jim had to fight to keep the smile from his face.  
  
“Kodos. Kodos the executioner?” The little man screamed; it was the worst thing that Jim had ever heard. Both Leonard and Scotty came running into the room as Kodos’ screams shook the stone walls and shattered the windows.  
  
When the scream ended, the little man was gone. Jim tried to find where he’d gone; he wasn’t sure that Kodos would stay away, after all, they’d promised him whatever he wanted, but when he voiced the thought to his beloved, Leonard shook his head.  
  
“He was taken. Bad spirits like him, their names stay secret and unspoken for a reason. He can’t bear to hear it. He is gone and will never come back.” Jim wrapped his arms around his soon to be husband and kissed him for all he was worth.

 

 

 


	5. Rapunzel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know this story...so I've made it a little interesting. At least,I think so.

Jim had been taken by the Klingons months ago, and the crew of the Enterprise was no closer to finding a way to rescue him. Unlike their usual MO, the Klingons had kept him alive, locked in a tower in one of their ruined cities of all places. They sent reports daily; proof that their captain was still alive as the crew tried to discover how to rescue him.

Leonard was losing his mind with all the waiting.

Leo, Spock, Uhura and Scotty were having yet another unwinnable, circular argument and Leo was so over it that he just left the room and stomped back to Medical, shutting himself into his office.

Christine knocked gently on the door, knowing just how frustrated her boss got after another meeting. She opened the door at his roughly called out greeting.

“Any decisions today?” Leo shook his head roughly as he pulled a bottle of bourbon from his bottom desk drawer. Christine held her tongue. She, more than anyone else on the ship knew what Jim’s absence was doing to their CMO. She was the only one he’d confided in about his feelings for their Captain and it hurt her heart watching him suffer like this.

“Have they thought about sneaking a small force onto the planet? Two people in a shuttle?” Leo cocked his head to the side, trying to recall if that had been brought up.

“No...dammit Christine you are brilliant! I gotta go find the hobgoblin.” He bolted up and out of his seat, gone before Christine could blink. She eyed the half-finished glass on his desk before snatching it up and throwing it back. He’d never miss it.

Approximately twenty four hours later, Spock and Leo were in a shuttle and making their way down to the planet. Leo had refused anyone’s offer to take his place and Spock was the logical choice due to his immense strength; they’d need it to ward off Jim’s captors.

They made their way to Jim’s coordinates, his damn tracker still active after all this time. The Klingons had been toying with them. They landed the tiny shuttle and raced to Jim’s location. They found a literal tower, no doors, no stairs, just a high window. Spock found it ‘fascinating’. Leo found it infuriating. And where were Jim’s guards? How the hell did they get up there?

Leo hadn’t realized that he’d voiced that last thought until Spock grabbed his shoulder an pulled him behind some rubble. There were Klingons coming. they watched from their hiding spot as two Klingons approached the tower, speaking in low, rough voices. When they reached the base of the tower they called out harshly and slammed their axes into a certain block on the tower in a morse code type pattern.

Golden hair fell from the high window and Leo felt his eyes go wide. It couldn’t possibly be Jim’s hair. He gestured to Spock, who had a similar look of astonishment on his own features. Spock shrugged, actually shrugged his shoulders, as they watched the one Klingon climb up the hair like a rope in gym class.

The two were silent after that until the Klingons left shortly after.

Spock went to the base of the tower and mimicked the sounds the Klingons had made before slamming his hand into the appointed block in the correct pattern. The hair fell from the window again.

Spock gestured Leo to go ahead and Leo had to take a deep breath and rub his hands together. He was in shape, but that rope in gym glass had always gotten the best of him. Time to put his Starfleet regimen to good use.

It took a long time, but finally Leo made it to the window, grunting and cursing the last few feet. He hauled himself over the ledge and fell onto his back on the floor, gasping and wheezing for breath.

“Bones?” Leo’s eyes closed in relief; he never thought he’d hear Jim’s voice again. He forced his eyes open and saw Jim leaning over him, shock all over his handsome features.

The hair that had fallen out of the window wasn’t JIm’s, his hair was still short. He did, however, have a beard covering his face that Leo thought was extremely sexy. It was darker than the hair on his head, except for around his chin which was salt and pepper. Leo wanted to run his fingers through it.

“Bones, how did you...I mean where did you...who is down there?” Jim finally settled on as Leo found the strength to sit up and look around Jim’s erstwhile cell. It was a tiny room, with a bed, a toilet, a table with one chair, and a few books. That was it; Jim must be going insane with nothing to do.

“Spock and I snuck onto the planet in a tiny shuttle and came here to get you. Now, Jim, move your sweet ass out that window. I don’t care if you jump, Spock said he’d catch you if needs be.” Jim’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning as he threw himself into Leo’s arms.

“Bones I’ll never forget this!” Jim pulled back just enough to plant a sloppy, enthusiastic kiss on Leo’s stunned lips before heading to the window.

“Spock, I know you can hear me, I’m coming down you beautiful bastard!” Jim stage whispered as he tied off the long rope of hair and wiggled himself onto the windowsill.

Less than an hour later found them back on the Enterprise, Jim being debriefed in Medical as he was given a full check up at the behest of his CMO.

“My question is, Jim, why the hell didn’t you just escape yourself?” Leo asked as he cleaned some of the various small cuts and scrapes on Jim’s hands. He looked up to see Jim blushing, red as a tomato.

“Now you gotta answer kid.” Jim bit the inside of his lips before opening his mouth to answer.

“The Klingons that captured me were just kids. They’d salvaged some stuff from a crashed starship and found a book of old Terran Fairy Tales. They wanted to learn to the truth in them. Every time I tried to escape, or refuse them access to the tower, they would climb up anyway and beat the shit out of me. Told me I had to wait for my ‘true love’ to rescue me.” He mumbled the last and Leo’s mind raced.

“Are you tellin me that you got kidnapped by child Klingons and forced to reenact Rapunzel?” Leo asked as Spock, Uhura and Scotty looked around the room, all of them biting their lips to keep from bursting out in laughter.

Jim nodded shamefully and the silence was broken.

“Well now, Jimmy, I guess you’ll just have to call me prince charming from now on.” Jim smiled at Bones and nodded his head.

“Fine, but if one person calls me princess they’re off the ship.”


	6. THE Little Match Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is sad and will not have a happy ending...until part two is posted tomorrow. There is a character death. Please, be warned and don't read if this will trigger you.

Galia was floating and oh, so cold. She was flashing back to when she’d run away. Run away from Orion and left her sister to the fates. She’d had the chance and her sister told her to go; one of them should get out and make a life.

She’d found a lot of bad people trying to make her way to Earth and Starfleet. The traveling had been long and hard. She’d been beaten and taken without her permission. It had gotten so bad that she thought she would die out there, all alone and in the cold. Somehow she made it.

She didn’t have that confidence this time.

The Farragut was a ruined shell of a ship; and she’d been a beautiful ship. Galia was trapped in a Jeffries Tube near engineering watching as the hull ripped itself to shreds. The tube, incidentally, was somehow keeping her from getting sucked out into the dark silence of space. She turned her weary eyes away from the sights of war and death to a tiny corner of space with just stars.

A shooting star caught her eye and she smiled, reminded of her friend Jim. She was afraid that Jim would be like the star; shining bright for one moment, then disappearing. She had faith in him, that he could sustain his light and shine forever, if he had faith in himself.

She smiled, and then shivered in the cold. Galia took what she knew to be her last breath, forced a small smile on her lovely face and thought of her friend Jim, the burning, not shooting star.

Not long after the Earth had been saved and Jim Kirk and his band of young crewmembers were lauded as heroes, there was a cleanup of the debris in the sky over what was once Vulcan. All of the workers knew the chance of finding someone alive was so slim as to be impossible, but they searched and salvaged parts of ships as they’d been told to do.

They came across a set of Jeffries Tubes that had been ripped from their ship and preserved perfectly inside, was the body of a young Orion woman with a smile on her face and a Starfleet uniform on. They carefully extracted her body in the tubes from the wreckage and carried her to Earth to be buried as a hero.

 


	7. Snow White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for posting so late in the day. If there was anyone who was waiting to read "Little Match Girl" until I posted part 2, this is for you. I hope you like what I've done. Read on and enjoy!

The seven young ensigns that had found the body of the lovely Orion carried her gently out of their ship, still preserved in her Jeffries Tube. They refused to let anyone too close to her, though everyone was amazed at just how perfect she still looked, even in the stillness of death.

She had a Mona Lisa smile on her round face. Her red hair was still curly and vibrant. Her body had not a scratch on it. Though the seven had instructions to return her to Starfleet Headquarters to be cut out of her clear tomb, they could not bear to do so.

They built her a shrine instead.

Leaving her in her perfection, the seven built a shrine from other debris they’d found about Vulcan; a facsimile of a starship. They propped her up on top of their model and stood guard, telling all who approached her name, rank and about her death.

Students, instructors and Starfleet brass alike marveled at her beauty. James Kirk showed up just one day after the memorial had been finished and wept at her feet, crying out for her forgiveness. His CMO, doctor Leonard McCoy showed up and gently carried him away from his grief.

The First Officer of the Enterprise, former professor Spock, and Nyota Uhura showed up shortly after. Spock, in a rare display of emotion, held Ms. Uhura as she wept for her friend. She, also, had to be carried away.

This went on for days and days, nearly everyone on campus stopping by to allow their grief to show and to pay tribute to the lovely Orion.

Eventually, the stream of visitors trickled away to nothing, but the seven still stood their lonely vigil. They kept her grave clean and made improvements to their model starship, eventually adding flashing lights that would shine long after they’d gone.

One day, an engineer that the seven had never seen before was walking by and stopped dead at the sight of the memorial. He rushed over towards it, crying out in a thick accent for Galia, long since trapped and gone. When he saw the state she was in and the amazing memorial built from debris, he turned and shakily addressed the seven.

“Galia...was my first love. The lass looks so lovely there but I just wonder, may I please open her tomb to kiss her lips one last time? I’ll help you fix her tomb afterwards and make it into something that will withstand even the end o’the earth.”

The seven stepped away and conferred briefly, torn from not wanting to ruin her and feeling moved by the engineer’s heartfelt plea. Finally, they turned to him and gave their permission.

The man, Chief Engineer of the Enterprise Montgomery Scott, scrambled agilely onto the memorial and grabbed some equipment from his belt. He gently cut open the Jeffries Tube and pried the piece over her face off and threw it behind him.

There was no smell of decay, no hint or sign that Galia was anything but sleeping peacefully. Scotty leaned down and pressed his trembling lips to hers. As he pulled away, he nearly topped over in shock when her eyes opened.

“Oh Scotty. You found me.” Scotty shook as he pulled her from her resting place and into his arms.

“You were dead, love. Dead and gone and preserved in a tomb...” He ran his fingers through her wild hair and pressed kisses into her shoulder and neck, unable to convince himself that she was alive and in his arms again.

“Jim made me watch this movie once and a line always stuck with me...”Death can not stop true love.” Scotty laughed and the seven, their long vigil ended at last, laughed with him.

Scotty kissed Galia again and took her away from her tomb, so that they could live happily ever after.


	8. Hansel and Gretel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some sad stuff in this chapter, though I started with pure, silly fluff. Drugging, starvation, extreme dehydration...All with a happy ending. I promise you! Please read and let me know what you think!!!

It was a routine away mission; meaning that nothing was going to plan at all. Scotty and Bones were lost in a purple and orange forest on an unnamed planet, with no communications and more more supplies than what they had on their backs. Bones sighed and rested his back against a tree.

“What in blazes are the CMO and Chief Engineer doing on an away mission anyway? What is going through Jim’s cornfed mind?” Bones yelled before sliding down to sit in the damp, lavender colored grass. Scotty looked up from what he was doing.

“I dunno Doc, I think most o’his thoughts revolve around a certain grumpy doctor.” Bones flushed angrily and turned away. Damn Scotty and his perceptiveness. He and Jim had been dancing around each other for some time now, both unwilling to make the first move lest it be spurned by his best friend.

Lost in a forest with no way to contact the Enterprise, Leonard regretted all those lost chances.

“C’mon doc. It’s no’a secret, the way the pair o’ya feel about each other. For now, we best be gettin going. Gonna be dark soon.” Scotty opened his palms to reveal a broken down piece of equipment.

“What in blazes are you doing with that? Leo asked curiously as he hefted his tired body up from the ground.

“It’s the best chance we got, gonna leave a trail for ourselves. If we need to turn around, we shoul’na get lost.” He began to drop one shiny piece of metal for every ten steps. Unbeknownst to each of them, a small bird, similar to an earth magpie, was grabbing each shiny piece as it dropped and taking them back to it’s nest. Thir trail was gone.

Two hours of hiking through the woods left each man exhausted and even more cranky than when they’d started out. In addition to that, both felt like they were going in circles despite the trail Scotty had been laying down for them. Leo finally called a halt when he found a small stream and thanked his lucky stars that he’d put his portable water purifier in his kit. He collected water for the two of them and cleaned it before repeating the process to fill their one canteen and Scotty’s flask.

“I dunno ‘bout you doc, but I could go for something a bit harder than this.” Leo nodded absently, his eyes never straying from the ever darkening path in front of them.

“We need to move and soon Scotty. We at least need to find a place to spend the night.” Scotty took a deep breath and began to move slowly. They trudged along for another hour, the night closing in all around them, until it was too dark for them to go anymore.

They sat down together at the base of a large tree, huddled for warmth. Scotty offered to take the first watch, but Leo was strung out from worry and all of the things he never had a chance to say to Jim. He took one look at Scotty’s tired face and waved him off, saying he didn’t mind staying awake for a while. Scotty made him promise to wake him in three hours and drifted off, curled into Leo’s side.

Leo smiled down at the other man. The two of them were sort of outcasts on the Enterprise. Older than the rest of the crew of child-geniuses, but brilliant and young enough at heart to keep up with them. Leo was glad to have the other man at his side in tough times; and their current situation certainly counted as tough times. He scanned the forest, seeing nothing to break up the darkness; no hint of movement or light penetrating

He allowed his mind to drift and think of Jim even while one part of him was ever watchful. Jim with his bright eyes and bright smile and bright soul. He changed everything when he’d attached himself to Leo on that shuttle. Leo couldn’t have been happier about it. Well, he thought ruefully, maybe if there was some physical part of their relationship, but altogether, he was happy.

It took him a moment to realize that he was seeing a pinprick of light ahead of him. He squinted as the light got brighter and brighter, illuminating the dark night. He roughly shook Scotty’s shoulder to wake him and pointed silently. There was no way that it was sunrise already, he knew from reading the mission briefing that this planet only had one sun and rotated at a pace similar to earth.

The two wearily got to their feet and felt around for rocks or fallen branches they could use to defend themselves if necessary. They crept towards the light, backs to each other as much as possible, in defensive positions. They came to a clearing and what they saw shocked them.

It was a cabin; it looked comfy and warm to their tired eyes. It glowed from within with candlelight and thy could see a chimney on the roof with light, sweet smelling smoke coming from it. There were no other hints of people. They crept towards the door, and had a silent conversation of who was to go first. Leo lost and pushed the door open as silently as he could.

Inside was an old woman, nondescript enough that both men were reminded of their grandmothers. She smiled at them as they pushed open the door cautiously and leaned up out of her chair.

“Ma’am, we are so sorry to intrude on you like this. We’ve been lost in the forest and lost communication with our...friends.” She came towards the door and both men shamefully dropped their makeshift weapons outside as she gestured for them to come in.

“Oh dear me, you two poor boys. You must be chilled to the bones. Come in, I’ll fetch you some dinner and a nip to warm you. I have enough for both of you. Please, come in and rest.” Leo and Scotty wiped their dirty boots on the rug at her door and stepped into the warm interior of the cabin.

“Ma’am, my name is Leonard McCoy and this is Montgomery Scott, though most people call us Leo and Scotty. May we know the name of our gracious host?” Scotty was reluctantly impressed by Leo’s courtly, southern manners. He was glad Leo had been forced to take point.

“Most people around here just call me Mama, if it’s not too odd for you dear boys. Now, settle yourself in on that sofa over there and be comfortable while I fetch you some food.” They squished themselves onto the sofa in front of the roaring fire, each thinking that it was less than a sofa and more of a chair to men their sizes.

Mama served them rich stew and a glass of something similar to whiskey and soon both were drowsing happily on the tiny couch. Leo’s eyes fluttered as he caught movement from the corner of his eye, but the fire, soup and drink had a soporific effect on him and he was sluggish after the long day.

Mama’s face was changing, morphing into something else. As terrifying as it was, Leo felt drugged and unable to move. As that thought ran through his mind, he tried to curse and bring his hands up to his throat. They probably were drugged. Stupid, trusting doctor. Leo finally passed out trying to scream with horror.

When Leo awoke, it was to the sound of horrified whispering in his ear. He groaned and rolled onto his side before opening his eyes; the drugs in his system making him lightheaded and nauseous. He mumbled aloud.

“Some form of benzo, since we arent’t used to it in our systems...Scotty, you gotta help me up man.” His eyes were drooping as he tried to fight off the effect of the drugs, but he was still struggling to move his body. He felt like there was lead in his veins.

“Doc, oh thank the lord above, I thought she’d killed ye!” Leo felt Scotty wrap his hands around his upper arms and pull him to a seated position. Leo forced his eyes open and made himself focus on the panicked face of Scotty, hovering in front of him.

“How long have you been awake Scotty?” Scotty released him slowly, clearly relieved that he didn’t fall over.

“Long enough to start to worry. That Mama person is a changeling! We dinna even know they were one this planet! I dinna know what he wants, he’s not talking. He just locked us in a cage and left.” Leo blurrily looked around their cage, trying to find something that he could use to get them out of there.

There was nothing. There were four wooden walls and a small grate that, judging by the light and smell coming from it, led back into the living room of the little cottage. Leo groaned and flopped back down onto the hard, dirt-packed floor.

“Okay, no communications, no one knows were we are and we have no idea if this changeling has any demands or just wants to...what eat us? Kill us for sport? I thought changelings didn’t do that kind of thing?” Leo groaned from underneath the arm he’d thrown over his face. The drugs were not clearing from his system as quickly as he’d hoped; without food and clean water it would take even longer.

Time passed oddly for the two men in captivity. Sometimes they heard sounds and voices from somewhere else in the cabin and they tried to yell out, but both were dehydrated and weak. It seemed that their captor merely wanted them to starve to death. There were no windows in their cell, so they could not tell what time of day it was or how long they’d been trapped. Leo supposed, judging by the signs of dehydration, that it was about four full days.

Both men were weak as kittens when the grate finally opened into their cell. They were dirty and smelly and could barely move. When Leo managed to crane his neck and see what was at the small opening, he thought that he must have died, because it was Jim. Jim, looking golden and healthy and more beautiful than ever before, despite the bags under his eyes and the pallor to his skin. Leo would have wept if he could have.

Jim crawled into the cell and pulled an unresisting Leo into his arms. Leo had just enough time to see Galia climb into the cell next before he passed out and let blackness claim him; he had run through all of his energy.

A further two days passed before either the CMO or Chief Engineer awoke, in the sickbay of their beloved Enterprise. Leo thought that he had never been so happy to be on a spaceship before. His eyes fluttered open to see Jim, in a chair next to his bio-bed, resting his head on their twined fingers. He could feel little puffs of Jim’s breaths on his fingertips and it made his skin tingle.

“Jim.” He croaked out, his throat still a little sore and swollen from his ordeal. Jim’s head snapped up and his face went bright red; Leo was enchanted. Jim jumped up from his chair and looked around excitedly for a moment before leaning over and pressing a kiss to Leo’s forehead.

“I think you missed Jim.” Leo joked and tried for a smile, but his lips felt tight with chapping and he knew that it fell a little flat. Jim ran his tongue over his lips obscenely before leaning down and pressing his soft, plush, moist lips to Leo’s parched ones. As far as kisses go, it was terrible and yet, it was still the best kiss of Leo’s life. This time, his smile held a little more lightness when he aimed it at Jim.

“I should go get M’Benga and Chapel.” Jim tried to pull his hand away, but Leo tightened his fingers and held firm.

“You an I both know you can call them with that little button on the bed by my head. Don’t go Jim.” Leo let all of his fear and love show through his eyes as he asked Jim to stay. Jim sat back down and gently touched the button in question, as if suddenly reluctant to have someone intrude on them.

“I thought we’d lost you Bones.” Bones hushed Jim with a weak fingertip over his lips. He could see the fear in Jim’s eyes; feel the trembling of his lips. He opened his mouth to speak when M’Benga and Chapel came running in. Chapel, completely out of character, had tears in her eyes as she went to the opposite side of his bed and pulled him into her arms. M’Benga laughed as he weakly tried to push her away. In the tussle, Jim slipped out of the room.

“Chris, really, I do not ever want to be smothered in your breasts again. Please, get them out of my face and tell me what happened.” Chris pulled back with a laugh and sat down on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair; it felt nice actually.

“For the mission specs you’ll have to go to the Captain and Galia; those two were the reason we got you back at all. They were...determined.” Geoff said ambiguously. Leo raised an eyebrow at him, but kept silent and gestured for him to go on.

“I’m assuming you guessed something from the Benzo family? You were mostly right. Except, since you don’t ever take any kind of meds it hit you hard. Then, with the dehydration and starvation, it wouldn’t metabolize out of your system. It was...well, it was tough.” Leo nodded his head, expecting that exact answer.

“Now, you need to get some more rest. We’re still flushing your system to get the last of it all out, it was a long acting bastard of a drug. You’ll be released tomorrow.” Leo nodded again, feeling his head and limbs get heavy as he lowered himself back to his bed and closed his eyes. He heard the door shut behind Chris and Geoff and frowned. Jim was gone again.

Leo was shuffling down the corridor to his quarters the next time he saw Jim. He was in loose-fitting scrubs and holding a warmed blanket that had been sent from sickbay with him; his body was still metabolizing itself from the lack of food and he got cold too easily.

Jim saw him shuffling down the hall and stopped dead, waiting. He shuffled up to and then past Jim without a word, knowing Jim would follow. He wanted to be mad that Jim left him alone when he promised he wouldn’t, but he didn’t have the energy. He let Jim follow him to his quarters and allowed him inside.

Leo slumped his way over to his couch and curled up in one corner of it, pulling the warmed blanket up over his whole body. Then, finally, he allowed himself to look at Jim. Jim, who looked so defeated and relieved at the same time. Jim, who had apparently (according to Scotty, Galia and Geoff) gone to some impressive lengths to save him. Jim, who was his best friend in the world and filled his life with laughter and love; two things he thought he’d lost forever long ago.

He patted the couch next to him in silent question and was relieved when Jim sat down.

“What happened?” Leo asked softly. Jim sighed and rolled his neck on the couch, finally rolling so that he could look deep into Leo’s eyes.

“He went crazy. We don’t know. We searched for you for so long, and found nothing. No hint that you’d been anywhere near.” Jim choked slightly and Leo reached a hand out of his blankets to stroke his cheek.

“I’m here Jim. It’s in the past. Go on.” Jim closed his eyes and leaned into the touch before starting again.

“Galia was nuts, man. Her pheromones were outta control, but it’s how we finally found you. Her body was reaching out to it’s mate. She finally managed to catch Scotty’s scent and it led us to the cabin.” Jim looked away, focusing hard on a spot on the wall across from the couch.

“When we got there, he was stoking the fire. He wanted you to die a natural death so he could cook and eat you.” Jim’s chin quivered again and Bones pulled a corner of the blanket out from under him and pulled Jim to him, covering them both. Leo sensed that he wasn’t the only one feeling chilled.

“We had to kill him; it was awful. The phasers wouldn’t work; Galia grabbed an axe from outside the door. I had a fireplace poker. He screamed, so much. He was crazy, so far gone out of his head. But, we had to save you. I had to save you.” Jim turned in his arms and buried his face in Leo’s neck. Leo felt Jim’s hot tears run down his skin and onto his shirt as he held him.

Leo unconsciously began rocking back and forth and murmuring nonsense into Jim’s hair. Jim’s hands tightened on his arms where they were clutching at his shirt and Leo began to press gently kisses into Jim’s golden hair.

“Darlin, you saved me. I’m here and I’m okay. And I’ll be here for as long as you want me to be.” Leo whispered the words and felt Jim freeze. Jim’s head tilted up and Leo couldn’t move his face out of the way fast enough so thir cheeks slid together until they were eye to eye.

“I’d do it again, for you. There’s never been anyone else like you for me. Forever, that’s how long I want you.” Leo smiled, a real, true smile; eyes shining and dimples showing. Jim’s breath caught and he ran his tongue over his lips before leaning in to taste Leo’s lips.

 


	9. Sun and Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I, sadly, Did not read the Hans Christian Anderson version of this story. I read a different "fairy tale" of the same name.

Jim and Bones have been forbidden by Pike to go to the Officer’s party. They have caused too much destruction at the various other Officer functions to be allowed to go again. They sit forlornly in their apartment, getting drunk and whining like children about how life is unfair.

“I mean, we saved the world Bonesy! We should be able to go to a stupid party for us. The party is for us, we should be able to go.” Jim drunkenly rambles.

Bones is far too interested in the line of Jim’s neck and the perfection of his profile to respond or even notice the repetition. Bones has loved his friend and captain for a long time and would always rather have alone time with him than head to a party. He also knows, however, that whatever Jim wants, Jim gets. Especially from him.

“You wanna go to the party Jim? Let’s go crash. I’ma need help getting into my uniform though.” Bones slurs as he stands up from the couch in his sweats. Jim drunkenly pushed himself off the couch as well, trying not to ogle his best friend too blatantly as the make their way to the closet that holds their dress uniforms.

Thirty minutes later, both are presentable enough as they make their way through Starfleet campus to the celebration being held in the Officers club. Neither of them can hide their drunken swaying or giggles, but at least they look like respectable adults.

They are held up at the door by Officer Cupcake, who looks to be taking great pleasure in denying them access. Bones is leaning on the doorframe, trying not to fall over as Jim attempts to make cupcake see his side of the story. It isn’t working and Jim is getting redder and redder in the face as time passes.

Pike is passing by the door when he sees Jim and Bones arguing with the security officer that he has hired to be the bouncer for the evening. Standing back and looking at his two favorite troublemakers, Pike makes a last second decision to allow them into the party. It’s in their honor and they did dress for it.

Jim swaggers in as though he owns the place and Bones makes a beeline for the open bar. If he is going to share Jim’s attention through the night, he is going to need to be more drunk than he already is.

Jim is working his way around the room, hyper aware of Bones’ eyes on him every second. It’s making him sweat, in a very good way. His skin feels sensitive and he is counting the seconds until he can re-join his sexy friend at the edges of the party. As he begins to make his way over to Bones, Jim is grabbed by a very persistent Admiral’s wife for a dance.

Bones sees the admiral’s wife grab Jim’s arm and drag him to the dance floor. He is incensed. He throws back the rest of the drink in his hand, no matter how angry you get it is no excuse to waste good alcohol, and stomps through the crowd, just drunk enough to make a scene.

He roughly pulls Jim from the woman’s embrace and proceeds to tell her just what his true opinion of her is, from her hair to her shoes and her personality too. The woman bursts into tears on the dance floor.

Bones and Jim are none-too-gently escorted from the party and placed under house arrest back at their small apartment where Bones proceeds to throw up everything he’s consumed in the past 48 hours and Jim falls asleep on the couch.

The moral of the story should be: one mistake can ruin a good time.

The moral of the story actually is: Jim and Bones do stupid shit when they get drunk and Bones is a jealous asshole. But Jim likes it.


	10. Toads and Diamonds

Jim Kirk, in the eyes of Leonard McCoy, is a study in the most amazing contrasts. His blue eyes speak of innocence and naivete as well as hard-learned lessons and a cynical outlook. The light scarring on his face speaks of pain and suffering, but adds to his ethereal beauty. His body moves and twitches like a child who’s had too much sugar, but he carries himself like confident man, always knowing what he wants his limbs to do.

But these are physical things. And, while Leonard McCoy certainly appreciates every physical attribute that Jim Kirk has, and some that he’s only been able to imagine, he knows the true contrast lies in that big brain of his.

James Tiberius Kirk, when he speaks, usually falls into one of two categories.

Diamonds: every word is brilliant. His thoughts are poetry expertly translated to everyday use. His ideas are priceless gems that one feels fortunate to have heard. He is beautiful and it is a gift to be near him.

Vipers: he lashes out. He wants to hurt the world around him as it has hurt him. His thoughts lash out at anyone in the vicinity, often biting so deep as to make you feel like you’ve been poisoned. His ideas hurt himself and everyone around him.

Leonard McCoy decides it’s time to help Jim let go of the vipers and become just diamonds. Jim Kirk is a study in contrasts, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. He doesn’t have to hurt and be hurt. Jim Kirk just needs a reason to shine all the time.

It’s time to tell Jim about his diamonds and help him to shine like the stars.


	11. Puss in Boots

Joanna McCoy was just 9 years old, but she was smart. She observed the world around her with her father’s hazel eyes and none of his hard-won cynisim. She looked at the world with wide-eyed innocence and love for everything around her. So, when she was given the chance to spend a whole week on the Enterprise with her daddy, she was excited enough for both of them while he was worried enough for the both of them.

“Daddy!!!” Joanna materialized on the ship and went running for her daddy, loving the way that he picked her up and swung her around as he kissed her face. She kissed his stubbly cheek and smelled his neck; she couldn’t name the things he smelled like except for ‘comfort’ and ‘daddy’. Both of those things were good enough for her.

She was sad when he put her down, but pleased that he kept her small hand wrapped up in his big one. Daddy led her though the halls of his ship, introducing her to everyone. Everyone knew her daddy because he was such an important part of the ship; Joanna felt very proud.

Jo knew there was no way she could remember everyone’s names, so she started making up names in her head for everyone she met. It was on the bridge with Captain Jim, she couldnt forget him, when she found herself naming people after her favorite movie characters.

There was Sulu; he was obviously Donkey. He was really funny and sang for Jo.  
There was Uhura; she was clearly Fiona, because she was a beautiful princess.  
There was Spock; he was really weird, so in her head she called him Rumplestiltkin, even though he really wasn’t evil.  
And then, she laid eyes on Chekov. He was clearly Puss. Unfortunately, she said this out loud, and loud enough for Daddy and Uncle Jim to hear.

“What was that Jo-Bear? What did you call Chekov?” Jim was holding a hand over his mouth but his eyes were doing the thing they did when someone laughed.

“I called him Puss, Like Puss in Boots! You know, from Shrek, Daddy! Look at him, he’s so cute and little and look at his boots! Can I keep him?” Captain Jim lost what little control he had and started to laugh; big loud belly laughs that made Joanna smile. Daddy’s mouth was twisting in the way that he had when something made him mad. Joanna felt bad and held her arms up, asking to be pulled into a hug.

“I’m sorry I made you mad daddy.” She whispered into the skin of his neck. She hid her face and almost cried as he rubbed her back.

“No baby, you didn’t make me mad. But Chekov isn’t Puss in Boots and I really think we should say sorry to him for calling him that in front of all these people.” Jo nodded and sniffed back her tears enough to turn to Puss-Chekov and apologize.

“I’m sorry I called you that. But...” She leaned away from daddy and crooked her little finger at Chekov, who came closer to hear what she was going to say.

“You are really cute like him.” She pulled back into her daddy’s arms and hid her face in his neck.She heard Captain Jim’s renewed laughter and saw Chekov’s face turn real red before he sat down again. Daddy swept her off the bridge and down the hall as she closed her eyes and took in his comforting warmth and smell. On the edge of sleep, she heard him talking to Captain Jim.

“Dammit Jim, stop laughing. She’s nine! I refuse to accept that she’s got a crush on Chekov. Tell him to report to medbay at 0700 tomorrow morning for his physical.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having serious Daddy!Bones feels for the last few days....expect a few of these from me, because it's all I've been writing.


	12. The story of the youth who learned fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is twisted a bit. The title is self explanatory, but when I read it well... I don't want to give anything away, but change "fear" to "love". Please enjoy! Posting early since I'm not sure when I'll have my computer tomorrow.

Leonard McCoy was a man that loved easily. This was not a bad thing but it made him suseptible to heartbreak. He loved his family; he loved his friends; he fell in love with his partners early and hard. But when they broke his heart, it always healed quickly.

Until Jocelyn.

Jocelyn Darnell was everything that Leonard McCoy ever wanted. She was lovely, smart, funny and she loved him. Or so he thought. She ripped out his heart and stomped on it. And it wasn’t just her. They’d had a lovely daughter, Joanna, that Leo fell madly in love with before she was even born. Jocelyn took Joanna away from him.

He tried to hide for a while, but his nature showed through. He smiled again; he lived again; he fell in love again. He was himself again.

James Kirk did not love easily, though he wished he could. He had affection for things and people. His mother; his motorbike; his long string of one night stands. They all held a small piece of his affection, but nothing he would ever refer to as love.

Starfleet was everything that James Kirk never knew he always wanted. He learned things; exercised his body and mind; and best of all, there was a large pool of attractive, brainy people around at all times. Jim kept breaking hearts, though he tried to curb his ways.

He had a few people that he kept going back to. Friends with whom he felt comfortable but nothing more than deep affection.

Things began to change for the both of them.

First, in their second year, they were assigned a room together. A command track student and a med track student living together and it not being by their choice was nearly unheard of. Both young men had one important thing in common though; Chris Pike.

Chris had recruited both men and paid special close attention to them during their first year. He knew the ins and outs of each man’s character and knew that, if they were able to cultivate it, they could help each other grow in a myriad of ways.

Jim rolled with the changes; he was almost never at his own dorm anyway. But, when he was re-introduced to the man he remembered as cranky, scruffy and drunk from the shuttle over from Riverside, Jim was reluctantly intrigued.

Leo had heard of James Kirk and was wary of him. However, his large heart, the one that he guarded now behind an angry exterior, wouldn’t allow him to hide from his new roommate. He cooked dinners and left plates out that were always cleaned and put away in the mornings. He kept the place clean and tried to be a good roommate.

Jim saw all of this and began to stay home more often. He began to feel affection for this roommate of his. They stayed in; they talked; they helped each other with homework; and on the rare occasion that Jim could convince him to, they went out to bars and played wingman for each other.

Leo, or Bones as he was now called, was really good at being a wingman. He could always spot the one person in the bar looking for a good time for a few hours and nothing more. Jim stopped breaking hearts. Bones stopped hiding his. Bones fell in love with his roommate.

Jim knew that he felt something, but not what he felt. Jim realized just how much it started to mean when Bones left food for him. Or when he stayed up to check on him. Or when he never grumbled about getting out of bed in the middle of the night when Jim pinged his comm with their distress signal. Or how Bones smiled at him first thing in the morning. Or how he looked, tousled with not enough sleep and too much work, sitting up in his bed at 0200; his hair mussed from running his elegant doctor’s hands though it, his eyes tired but still glowing from within.

Jim got scared and he ran to the one friend he thought could set him right; Gaila. But Gaila was no help at all, claiming to be in love with him as they fooled around. He shot out of her bed and into the hallway, confused. He needed a friend; someone who could explain what was going on. He settled for the next best thing and scheduled a meeting with Pike.

An hour later, after he’d rambled on and on about Bones and being confused, Pike sat back into his chair with a smile on his face.

“James. I can’t tell you what you should already know. Just, just go home and talk to Leonard.” Pike looked like he was laughing at Jim, who huffily got out of his chair and left without another word. Instead of taking Pike’s advice, Jim wandered the campus, walking until he was nearly lost in the labyrinth-like layout.

He came to no conclusions and decided to go home.

Bones had tried waiting up for Jim as usual. He’d made dinner and waited as long as he could before eating and settling into his pillows with homework. Jim came into the room, frustrated and confused but stopped short at the sight of Bones. He’d fallen asleep sitting up, propped against his pillows with a pair of grand-dad glasses perched on his nose and a book across his stomach.

Jim walked in as quietly as he could, toeing off his boots and dropping his jacket by the door. He crept up to Bones and felt his confusion melt away as he pulled the book away and set it on the bedside table, before doing the same with the glasses. Bones woke up when he tried to pull the blankets up over him and just stared at Jim.

“Hey. I’m sorry I missed dinner. And I’m sorry I woke you.” Bones gave him a rare sleepy smile and Jim’s breath caught in his throat. Before he could over think it, Jim leaned forward and pressed his chapped lips to Bones’. He felt the other man freeze for a second before returning the kiss.

It was just a meeting of lips, there was no filthy tongue, no burning lust, just a sweet, nearly chaste kiss. Jim pulled away and his face must have showed his shock because the smile slid off Bones face to be replaced by worry.

“What is it Jim?” Bones whispered, their faces still so close that Jim could feel his breath across his face.

“I don’t know what this is. What i feel for you; I certainly feel something. It’s big and all-encompassing and I just...I want to do all kinds of dirty, nasty, filthy things with you but I also wanna wake up with your arms around me. I wanna take you out and go places and be together but I also want to do things alone so that I can come home and tell you about what I’ve done. I want to tell you everything. I want to know everything about you. What...what is this?” Jim sank down on the edge of Bones’ bed with his head in his hands. He felt Bones moving behind him but stayed still, not moving.

“Jim. I can’t...I can’t tell you what that is. It’s something that you need to figure out for yourself. But...I can tell you that I want the same things.” He could feel Bones right behind him on the bed, so close that he could feel the heat radiating off the other man. He turned, just enough that they could touch.

“Can we start slow? Maybe the sleeping thing? And, you know, some kissing? I dunno why, but I think it’s important.” Bones gave him a full smile; dimples, crooked teeth and all. Jim felt himself returning it.

“Of course Jim.” Jim shucked his clothes off and slid into bed beside Bones as Bones ordered the lights out. Bones wrapped his arms around Jim and they settled in.

Late in the night, when he knew that Jim was asleep, Bones smiled down at the top of Jim’s head. He whispered into the darkness.

“Love. And I love you too Jim.”


	13. Jack and the Beanstalk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest here, I had no clue what to do for this one. I started and stopped a half a dozen times... but here it is.

Kronos. Leonard didn’t even like to think the name of the planet, let alone hear it in a mission briefing. The hateful word came out of Jim’s mouth anyway as he read aloud the latest mission briefing. They were to head to the edge of the neutral zone, nearest to Kronos, and contact the Klingons for an exchange. He didn’t know what they were exchanging, but it didn’t really matter.

Just like his involvement in this briefing.

He sat back in his chair, unfocused his eyes and allowed his memories to take him back. Every single time they dealt with the Klingons, even just in a peripheral way, bad things happened. They were too war-like. They were never to be trusted. Leo wondered how long it would take Starfleet command to realize this; probably never.

They were the giants to Jim’s playing of Jack in the beanstalk story. The problem was, as Leo saw it, there was no axe handy to chop down the beanstalk. Just more horror and terror.


	14. The Singing Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, really? How could I not, with the title of this fairy tale??? I didn't like the story (which I did read), so here's my 'singing Bones'

Leonard McCoy didn’t think that there was anything wrong with him, so when he opened his mouth and heard something he didn’t expect to hear, he was even more surprised than the rest of the assembled crew.

“What the hell happened  
I wish I knew  
What the hell happened  
Not so much I can do”

Bones closed his mouth with a snap of teeth. He just sang. He just sang well. In front of the bridge crew. And Kirk, who was looking at him with unholy glee. He forced his teeth together in an attempt to keep his mouth shut against further singing. He ran from the bridge before Kirk could open his mouth and, God forbid, ask him a fucking question.

He’d felt the disturbance on his way from Medbay to the bridge; the whole damn ship had rocked. He’d picked himself and walked to the bridge to ask what happened and...he’d sung, that’s what happened! He didn’t even realize he was gonna do it, dammit. He’s a doctor not some pop star!

Halfway between the bridge and Medbay he realized that Kirk would certainly find him there and use his override codes to get into his office. So, if he was going to be embarrassed, he was going to do it in the privacy of his own quarters. He locked himself in, poured himself a drink and sat in the dark, waiting for the man he called “Captain” and his best friend. Because he’s a masochist, apparently.

He didn’t have to wait long, but his tormentor didn’t come in the form that he’d expected.

“Leo? Open up it’s Ny.” Still clenching his teeth together, Leo got up and pressed the override to allow Nyota, and only Nyota, into his chambers. She came in and he rushed to shut and lock the door behind her. Leo slumped back to his worn in spot on the couch as Ny stood with her hands on her hips and studied him.

“What’s going on Leo?” HE shrugged his shoulders and focused at a stain on the carpet instead of looking at her.

“You sang, Leo. Really, quite well if you ask me, which I know you didn’t.” He shrugged again. He could feel the narrow eyed glare she gave him as she rounded the end of the couch and sat next to him, touching his shoulder lightly.

“Not on purpose then? Think it was something to do with the anomaly we flew through?” He rolled his eyes at her, just to see her smile. He loved her like a sister, but sometimes she was a little heavy handed with the pity.

“Yeah, so some kind of space...something is causing you and only you to have to sing instead of speak?” Her voice went up at the end and he flared his nostrils and clenched his teeth as she covered her mouth with her hand and started to laugh uproariously. He shook his head and flopped backwards as she giggled until tears were coming out of her eyes.

“Okay, well, first Leo, this kind of thing could only ever happen to you. Second, he says you can have a lonely pity party tonight but it’s all hands tomorrow, so you’ve got to show for your shift.” His eyes flew open and he looked imploringly at Ny while she held her hands up.

“You know the captain better than any of us, Leo. He wants it fixed; especially since it’s you.” Leo bit his lip against the song that tried to come bursting out of his mouth at that. Ny sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I know you’re sitting there thinking about what you are going to do. I’ve told you a hundred times to confess your feelings for him, so I really don’t have a lot of sympathy left for you. I told you that it would build and build and come out at some inappropriate time. But that’s not what you want to hear so I shall say this: try not to talk to him at all tomorrow.”

“I hate everything about you  
Why do I love you?”

Leo screamed internally as he watched Ny lose all of her natural grace and fall of his couch laughing like a simple minded fool. He couldn’t help himself, the words just came out. He didn’t even realize he knew a song like that.

“Oh Leo, never change.” She picked herself up off the floor and kissed his flushing forehead before letting herself out. Leo groaned and pulled his blanket off the back of the couch to pull up over his head.

The next morning, he awoke on the couch and groaned, in tune. That was new. He sighed and made his way into his bathroom. He looked in the mirror and groaned again, wishing he’d not spent the night on his couch. His hair was a wreck and he had large bags under his eyes. He bit his lip as he thought about how to test if he was still....singing all of his speech.

“Somewhere beyond the sea  
Somewhere waiting for me  
My lover stands on golden sands  
And watches the ships that go sailing”

Well, that answered that. He’d always loved that song, but he could never sing like that before yesterday. He ran the sonic around his mouth as he stared at his unruly hair and gave it up as a lost cause. It wouldn’t be the first time Christine had fixed it for him.

He managed to dress himself, somehow, and get out of his quarters without incident. He met no one on his way to Medbay, which made him suspicious but cheerful. Chris looked aghast at his hair, but at least didn’t ask him any questions as she frog marched him into his office and sat him down to fix it. He relaxed into her care; he’d never admit it aloud but he loved having fingers run through his hair. She fixed him up and left without a word and, cautiously optimistic about the day, he turned to his computer to get some of his paperwork done. He’d obviously have to put off recording the logs for another couple of days, but he’d always taken excellent notes for himself and it wouldn’t be an issue.

He should have known that it couldn’t possibly last. Chris stuck her head into the office to let him know that Uhura had a video call on the line for him. Leo blanched, blinking repeatedly to try and figure out how he could vid chat with anyone while he was in this state. It got exponentially worse when he turned on the screen to see his ex-wife’s beautiful, cold face staring at him.

“Len. You’re looking really...well. Look I’ve only called to ask you a few things about Joanna’s schooling. Are you okay, you look...I don’t know, like something is off.” She paused, obviously waiting for a response and he simply shook his head and motioned for her to continue.

“Look, I don’t know why I’m getting the silent treatment here. I thought we’d been doing well lately! Even, maybe, headed towards you coming home?” She tilted her head, showing her neck to it’s best effect. It had always worked on him in the past; but that time was long gone now. He couldn’t help the snort of laughter that burst out of him.

“Look, Len, there’s no reason to be a dick about it. I thought, maybe, when your silly tour was over and you were back on Terra we could...try to be a family again. Don’t you still want me? Us?” IT was the final straw for his patience. He couldn’t help what came bubbling out of his lips.

“you were my sun,   
you were my earth,   
but you didn’t know all the ways i loved you, no,   
so you took a chance, and made other plans,   
but i bet you didn’t think they’d come crashing down, no”

Leo laughed again as confusion flashed across Jocelyn’s face. Then outrage as the song that bubbled forth, started back up again.

“Now there’s just no chance, for you and me, there’ll never be  
and don’t it make you sad about it”

“Len, I don’t know what has gotten into you. You are being a hurtful asshole and I will make you pay.” Then her face was gone from his screen and he was cackling with laughter. It felt so good to say that to her face.

Leo sat back in his chair and let the good feeling roll over him. He’d never, not once, stood up to her. She deserved it. And, as an added bonus, there was no way she could keep Joanna from him over it. He’d helped save the world a few times over and had lots of friends in high places.

Chris stuck her head in his office at the sound of his laughter. He turned to her with a huge smile on his face and she gasped.

“You never laugh like that. Like, ever Leo. What’s up?” Leo shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to sing at Chris right now. She narrowed her eyes at him and withdrew, up to something, he was sure. He ignored it and rolled the good feeling into being productive.

Less than thirty minutes later, he heard the dulcet tones of the Captain outside his office door, speaking with Christine. All good feelings went away and he tried to hide under his desk. Not fast enough, however, because the door to his office opened with a flourish when he was still trying to cram himself into the small space meant for his legs.

“Bones, what’cha doin buddy?” Jim asked with a giant, evil grin as he crouched down to look Leo in the eye. Leo’s death glare helped him not one bit as he slid back up into his chair with as much dignity as he could.

“Still singing?” Jim asked, mock sympathetically. Leo continued to glare as he gave a short nod. Jim nodded back slowly, as if he expected the answer.

“Can I ask you something Bones?” Leo rolled his eyes and waited.

“If I were to ask you what you thought of me, right this very minute, what would you answer?” Leo bit his tongue savagely against the song that threatened to burst forth. He’d waited all this time to tell Jim what he really thought and felt, he’d not embarrass himself by singing it at him.

“You see, Bones, I know you’ve not had this singing thing long...less than 24 hours but it seems to me that it’s not just singing. It’s your honest to God thoughts and feelings, through song. Which, I gotta say man, is just...hilarious.” Jim allowed himself to double over and start laughing while Leo fumed.

The songs trying to burst out of his lips were changing with his mood as he realized that Jim was right. And Leo snapped; he decided that it was time for Jim to feel off-kilter. Jim needed to feel like he didn’t know what to do, like he was backed into a corner.

“I love myself  
And I want you to love me,  
When I feel down,  
I want you above me,  
I search myself,  
I want you to find me  
I forget myself,  
I want you to remind me  
I don’t want anybody else  
When I think about you,  
I touch myself”

Jim’s laughs came to an abrupt stop as he straightened in his chair to look over at Leo. Leo stared back steadily as he felt his confidence grow just a little bit. Jim had an adorable and sexy flush high on his cheeks and his ears had turned bright red, something Leo knew indicated interest from Jim. Leo cast his mind about for another song and laughed to himself as something came to him.

“I wanna, li-li-li-lick you from your head to your toes   
and I wanna move from the bed down to the, down to the, to the floor  
and i wanna, unh, unh, you make it so good I dont wanna leave  
cuz I gotta  
Kn-kn-kn-know wha-whats your fantasy”

Jim let out a huge breath and didn’t appear to take another as Leo rounded the desk and perched his ass on the edge of it, enjoying the look on Jim’s face and the sudden confidence he was feeling. He smiled down at Jim and crossed his arms over his chest; waiting.

It started softly and Leo wasn’t really sure what Jim was saying. Then he realized, Jim wasn’t saying anything. Jim was singing back to him. Leo asked his heart to stop beating so loud so that he could hear what song Jim wanted him to hear.

“Sexual Healing baby, is good for me  
Sexual Healing is something that's good for me  
Whenever blue tear drops are falling  
And my emotional stability is leaving me  
There is something I can do  
I can get on the telephone and call you up baby, and  
Honey I know you'll be there to heal me  
The love you give to me will free me  
If you don't know the thing you're dealing  
Oh I can tell you, darling, that it's Sexual Healing”

The air wooshed out of Leo like a deflating balloon as Jim lifted his head to make eye contact. Jim’s baby blues knocked what air was left in his body right out of him. Then, Jim was getting closer and closer. His lips were still moving but the blood was rushing in Leo’s ears and he had to strain to make it out. He did, but not until Jim was firmly in his personal space, lips just a breath away from his own.

“I’ve been really tryin baby  
Tryin to hold back this feeling for so long  
And if you feel like I feel baby  
Come on, oh come on, ooh

Let’s get it on, ow baby  
Let’s get it on, let’s love baby  
Let’s get it on, sugar  
Let’s get it on, woo”

Leo could feel Jim’s breath on his lips as he closed his eyes and let Jim’s words flow over him. They were finally going to make something happen, all because Leo’d had some space whammy put on him that made him sing his feelings. Curiouser and Curiouser.

All those thoughts flew from his head as Jim finally pressed his plush, pink lips to Leo’s trembling ones and, in that moment, Leo’s heart started singing.

SONG KEY:  
1: What the hell happened, Bruce Hornsby  
2: I hate everything about you, Three days grace  
3: Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darin  
4: Cry me a River, Justin Timberlake  
5: I touch myself, Divynls  
6: What’s your fantasy, Ludacris  
7: Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye  
8: Let’s get it on, Marvin Gaye


	15. Little Mermaid

Gaila loved Starfleet. She loved her dorm and her roommate and all of the people she got to learn from and with everyday. She was happy with her new life; away from the pleasure slavers of Orion and the horrible future that she’d thought awaited her when she was just a child.

A man from the stars saved her and she thought she’d fallen in love with him. It was just a trick of the mind though. He was no better than the slavers he’d taken her from. She got away and made her way to Earth and Starfleet Federation. Her brains had saved her; her body was unimportant to them.

She always felt different; her friends told her it was a part of life. She didn’t believe it. They all seemed to self-assured, so smart, so talented and she saw none of that in herself. Until she met a brilliant, quirky engineering student; Montgomery Scott.

He made her feel beautiful. He made her feel smart. He made her feel loved. He made her believe that, despite her Orion physiology, she could be not only content but overwhelmingly happy with one person until the end of her days.

Then Starfleet took him away from her and she had to fight to get him back. She got top marks in all of her classes; she took her pheromone suppressant shots every day; she played by every one of their rules until she was granted a position on the Enterprise.

When Jim inadvertently rescued Scotty from his exile on Delta Vega, despite every other horrible thing that was happening at that moment, she felt like she could finally breathe. She ran to him.

Gaila was so happy to see him that she was lost for words. She couldn’t make a sound to call his attention to her, but he saw her anyway. She ran into his arms and held him tight. Her body shivered when his hands slid into her exuberant hair and cradled her skull.

“Lass, I’ve missed ye.” He whispered to her. It was then she was finally able to cry. Grieve for those who had lost everything as she once had. But the moment gave her hope for them too.

Sometimes, when you lose everything, it makes the good things in life all that much sweeter.

 


	16. Cat and Mouse in Partnership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEwillspockyou did such an amazing job with this one, it's taken me forever to come up with an idea. So, I hope that you enjoy my little offering today. Kid!Fic. Papa!Jim and Daddy!Bones....ack, I'm feeding my own obsessions again!

Joanna McCoy-Kirk, aged 9, and her brother David Kirk-McCoy, aged 5, are as deviously brilliant as their Papa Jim and have the uncanny ability to look innocent like their Daddy Leo. They love to be together, and get in trouble together. They break all the rules but, as all four of them know, that their fathers can’t manage to stay mad for long.

This is when Joanna and David make a plan.

Joanna knows that David loves his sweets. Joanna likes them too, but takes her job as big sister very seriously, and decides that it is her job to make sure that David has everything he wants. So they start to borrow pastries from the kitchen. They stockpile all kinds of cakes and cookies, chocolates and candy, in Joanna’s toy chest. They save up enough that each of them can have one extra bite of sweets after dinner.

However, as Joanna lay there night after night, knowing that there are just piles of good things to each inches away, she gets up and steals a few for herself.

“Why not, I’m the one who took them anyway. Davy will never know.”

Time passes and the sticky little fingered theft of treats ceases. Davy and Jo have all the sweets they could want hiding upstairs and no longer complain about getting more desserts. Davy sticks to one piece per day, because that’s what his big sister said to do.

Davy worships his big sister.

Eventually, the stockpile is gone, and Jo has a stomachache one night not long after being sent to bed. When Davy sneaks into her room for his nightly extra treat and finds nothing, he gets angry at his sister and they begin to argue.

“You said there was ‘nough until Halloween!” Jo groans from her bed and pops one eye open to look at Davy.

“I’m sorry! I counted wrong, those are big numbers! I don’t feel good. Can you go get Papa and Daddy?” Davy stops mid-tantrum and looks closer at his beloved older sister. She’s got a smear of chocolate on her lips and there are crumbs in her bed.

“You ate it all! Tha’s why you don’t feel good!” He shouts now, unknowingly attracting the attention of their fathers.

“Yeah Davy I did, and I’d do it again! But I don’t feel good and I want my daddy!” The daddy in question, along with his husband, sneak quietly down the hall and listen at the door to their daughter’s room.

“No! S’not fair Joey! You said we should share! I’m so mad! Ill give you something to make you feel bad!” Jim stifles a laugh at the attitude coming from their little boy and they push the door open a crack to watch.

Davy, all chubby limbs, climbs onto Jo’s bed and bites her arm and she starts to cry. Leo decides this is enough and opens the door the whole way and flicks on the light just in time to see Davy start crying when he realizes that he’s bit his sister. Both turn on the waterworks even higher when they see their fathers in the doorway.

“Davy bit me!” Joanna cries, reaching for Jim, who scoops her up and presses a kiss to the proffered forearm.

“Jo ate all our candy without sharing!” Davy sniffles and Leo picks him up to dry his tears.

“And it all started because you two stole candy from the kitchen. Which made me and Papa very sad. So, both of you, dry your eyes and think about what you’ve done. Jim.” Leo offers a trade of the precious bundles in their arms.

They awkwardly switch children, so that Leo can look at the bite mark from Davy on Jo’s arm. It’s nothing more than a bruise but Leo takes her into the bathroom to rub some cream into it anyway. He sits her on the counter and stays silent as he waits for her tears to stop.

“No more stealing Jo-baby.” Jo nods solemnly then giggles when he Daddy kisses the top of her head and wipes her face clear of tears and chocolate. He picks her back up and marches into the bedroom, where Jim and Davy have stayed. Jim sets Davy on his feet and gives him a little pat to make him walk over to Jo.

“I’m sorry Joey.” Jim almost bites through his lip at just how cute it is to see Davy stick out his chubby little hand in an offer of renewed friendship. Jo turns to look at Leo, who nods, then turns back to Davy and pulls him into her for a hug.

“Next time, we’ll hide the candy somewhere that isn’t in our rooms.” She whispers as they hug and make up from the fight. Davy giggles.


	17. The Juniper Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't like this story and didn't want to kill anyone, so this only bears a passing familiarity with the original story.

The tree was planted just off the porch of the McCoy homestead once the house was completed. A juniper tree was chosen for it’s stability and ability to withstand time, just as they all hoped the house and the family line would.

And all three did.

The family and tree flourished as the house kept them safe and warm. Sitting on the far side of the tree from the porch became a favorite place for McCoy descendants to hide. And a tradition was born. Each McCoy child would carve a heart into the tree with their own initials in one half. Once they’d found the one they wanted to spend the rest of their days with, they would fill in the other half of their hearts.

When Leonard McCoy was little, he liked to sit under the tree and trace the initials of his ancestors. His favorite, of course, was the childish carving of D.M and E.S., his momma and daddy. He traced over the heart with his little fingers and watched, over time, as it got deeper and easier to see. He hoped, with all his heart, that one day he’d have kids who would come out and look at his heart and decide they wanted to make sure it would last until the end of time.

Eventually, he placed his own shy heart on the tree. When he found his Jocelyn and decided to propose he added JD next to his own LHM in his heart. When things got tough, he’d come out and look at his heart on the McCoy tree. Seeing their initials there together gave him the strength to see through the tough times.

When his darlin Joanna was born, he would sit under the tree and rock her as he warbled an off-tune lullaby to her. As she got a little older and things with Jocelyn got a little worse, they came out to the tree to escape. He would lift her up as high as he could and she’d giggle and grab at the branches.

He tried to scratch off his heart when Jocelyn asked him for a divorce, but his mama looked at it and said he should leave his heart on the tree. Eventually, he’s find another set of initials that fit with his own even better than he’d thought hers did. He thought she was wrong, but left his heart and burned off the JD. He left his heart on the tree empty, lonely and scarred.

Years later, he finally returned to the tree. His entire “space family” was staying at the old farmhouse in Savannah Georgia. They loved the old feel of it, and all the space to spread out. It was amazing for them all to sit out on the lawn in the evenings and look up at the stars that they would be returning to shortly.

Jim was the only one who looked closely at the tree. He found the DM + ES that little Leo had traced over and over in his youth and smiled. He looked more and found a heart that was half empty and scarred. It had LHM inside of it and Jim’s heart broke a little bit. He flipped open his own pocket knife and, without asking, fixed Leo’s heart.

He scraped at the burnt trunk of the tree, smoothing it and clearing it enough but making it clear that there was certainly some repaired damage. Then, unknowing that Leo was behind him and watching, he added his own addition to the McCoy family tree.

LHM + JTK.

Leo looked at the addition and smiled, feeling a healing in his heart as he realized how right it looked. He pulled Jim to him and pressed their foreheads together.

 


	18. The Frog Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...have no excuse for this. It is pure crack with a little bit of smut and fluff thrown in for good measure. NSFW, if for no other reason than you might spew coffee all over your co-workers whilst laughing. At least, I hope you laugh.

Prince Jim liked sex. He liked sex a lot. He was good at it and would call it his best talent. He liked boys, he liked girls, he even liked having sex with himself.

One day, after a long and not very satisfying orgy with a few of the choicest castle staff, Jim took his favorite golden dildo out onto the grounds to find a shady, comfortable spot where he could lay down and enjoy himself. However, Jim was carrying too many things and he juggled them when he tripped over a root. His golden dildo went flying out of his hands and landed in a deep pool just ahead of him.

Jim shrieked as he watched his favorite toy sink to the bottom of the pool. He kneeled in the soft grass, ignoring the stains on his breeches and heedless of everything else around him while he whined about it.

Not long after Jim started crying, a frog jumped from the bushes next to the pond and right up to his hand. His tears slowed as he looked at the frog; it looked like it was looking back at him.

“Excuse me, but do you mind? I’m trying to rest here? It’s damn cold here on the castle grounds and I’d really like to lounge in the sun for a while. You are making it impossible with all your wailing.” Jim’s tears stopped as he tried to reconcile the fact that a frog had just spoken to him.

“You’re a frog.” If possible, the frog gave the Prince as pitying look.

“Oh, well spotted. You must be some kinda genius to have figured that one out. Damn, who knew I’d meet a member of MENSA while I was trying to take a nap today?” The frog practically shouted as it hopped once and landed on Jim’s hand. Jim flinched, but was too amazed to actually move.

“There’s no need to be cranky. I’m sorry, I’m having a really shit day. First the orgy I planned up at the castle was seriously sub par and now I’ve accidentally dropped my favorite dildo down to the bottom of the pond.” Jim pouted.

“Well, now, that is a pickle.Prince Jim, right?” Jim nodded absently and thought the frog was being sarcastic, but frogs’ couldn’t be sarcastic, could they?

“Look do you have a name, or something?” Jim asked, trying to be polite. At least this was more interesting than the simpering pretty faces and hot bodies back at the castle.

“Funny you should ask. Look Kid, here’s the deal. I’m not actually a frog, I’m a well respected doctor from the next land over. Name’s McCoy, Leonard McCoy.” He held out a webbed foot and Jim, for lack of something better to do, tapped it with his forefinger.

“Long story short didn’t know she was a witch when I married her, yada, yada, yada, divorce....and now I’m a damn frog and not a doctor.” Jim’s eyebrows raised to his hairline, but stayed silent. Crazier things had happened.

“So look, I’m thinkin that we might be able to , uh, help each other a bit.” McCoy looked nervous, but Jim nodded encouragingly.

“So I’m cursed to be a frog for some shit that aint exactly my fault. I mean, you ever try to get a witch off in bed? It aint easy. So, I’m thinkin that I’ll jump on into that cold water and get your favorite dildo for you but when I come back up you gotta let me get you off with it. Then i can turn back into a man.”

“Are you crazy? I like sex just as much...well, a lot more than the next person, but I’m not gonna let a frog fuck me with a dildo.” Jim screeched. McCoy lay his little body down then pushed off hard and jumped onto the prince’s shoulder.

“Well, then you can kiss the golden dildo goodbye.” he said right into Jim’s ear.

Jim thought long and hard about it. When he said Golden Dildo, he meant it. There were people in the lands that didn’t make in a year what that dildo was worth. But, on the other hand, a frog. A talking frog. With a human name and shockingly realistic story about his life.

“...Against my better judgment, you’ve got a deal, Leonard. But, if you are as legendary of a doctor as you say you are, then you have to stay in my castle and practice here for the rest of your days.” The frog looked from Jim, into the woods and back.

“Deal, wish me luck. Frog or no I aint that great of a swimmer.” He hopped off Jim’s shoulder and over to the edge of the pool. He looked back over to Jim, who gave what he hoped was an encouraging grin, and leapt into the cold water.

Jim rushed over to the pool and watched McCoy sink down to the bottom of the clear water. He looked like he got stuck for a moment when faced with how to bring the dildo back up to the edge, but Jim gasped in shock when he saw the frog open his mouth wide and grab the dildo by it’s golden head.

McCoy clearly struggled on his way back to the top of the pool, but made it after what felt like an eternity. His head broke the surface and he felt soft, warm hands dip into the water under his body and pull him and his awkward burden out of the pool.

He unclenched his jaw and released the ridiculous dildo onto the ground as he lay gasping. He could see Jim’s actually concerned looking face hovering over him. He jerked when Jim’s hands picked him up and cradled him again.

“I’m...really impressed actually. That thing is no joke.” Jim smiled and McCoy felt something close to arousal spread through his body; something he hadn’t felt since he’ been a frog.

“Yeah kid, I know it and my jaw knows it. I know we had a deal but... why don’t we try a kiss first? I mean, that’s what all the stories say break curses, right?” Jim looked doubtful as he responded.

“Yeah, stories told to babies. And isn’t it usually ‘true love’s first kiss’ or some shit like that.” McCoy was glad that he had frog skin, so that he couldn’t blush as he fumbled for an answer.

“Look kid, you can pucker up and kiss me or strip off your nice, fancy pants and let me fuck you with a dildo that’s been in that water, a frog’s mouth and finally on the ground.” McCoy was frustrated. He wanted to be human again; to have his hands back, his face, his skin, his hair he wanted them all back. He was tired of being a frog. He was in the middle of a mental tirade and pity party when he felt soft, human lips pressed to the top of his head.

One second Jim was kissing a frog, the next he was kissing the tousled dark brown hair of the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen. Who was sitting in his lap. Naked. Jim pulled his face away so that he could look down at the gorgeous man.

“McCoy?” He traced the line of the man’s collarbone with his finger then trailed it up his neck to tilt his chin.

“It worked?” The man asked and Jim knew it was the frog now; they had the same voice.

“True love’s first kiss?” Jim asked jokingly, but was cut off from laughing by McCoy’s plush lips attacking his own. He let himself be tumbled back into the grass, gasping into the messy kiss. He reached around and palmed the globes of Leo’s ass. Leo panted into his mouth and thrust his hips against the soft fabric of the prince’s breeches.

Jim arched up into Leo’s touch. He rubbed his cock up against the hard, warm body above him and was shocked to feel orgasm racing through his nerves so quickly. He still had all his clothes on! He tried to fight it, to hold it off, but when Leo took Jim’s bottom lip into his mouth and bit it, Jim was lost. He came in his pants helplessly and was enraptured by the blissed out expression on Leo’s face as he followed.

The two lay on the ground trying to regain their breath. Leo lifted his head and looked wild-eyed at the man underneath him as he searched for words.

“I dunno about that. But, it seems to me that I owe you a debt. So maybe we can head on up to your castle, try our hand at real sex and take it from there?” He finally decided on and was relieved by the grin that spread across Jim’s handsome face.

“Sounds good.” Leo lifted himself up and off Jim and reached down for Jim’s hand to help him to his feet. They began the long walk back to the castle. The golden dildo was left behind, no longer needed.


	19. The Golden Goose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I really had nothing for this one. Just yall wait until six swans and sleeping beatuy though...hehehehe. Anyway, enjoy todays random drabble.

Pennies. Nickles. Dimes. Dollars. Money.Credits. Platnum. Crystals. Jewels. Gold. Silver.

People fight, kill, steal, lie and do horrible things for them. These things can do horrible things to people.

Once in a while though, people see these things and don’t think of possessing them. They want to treasure it. They want to worship it. They want to admire it.

Leonard McCoy has always been this type. To him, beautiful things should not be owned. They should be admired and loved by all. James Kirk is the prime example of this.

Jim is flashy and showy. He is rare and beautiful. He shouldn’t be hidden away or owned.

Jim is gold and Leo is happy enough just to admire from afar. Jim’s priceless friendship is the greatest gift he’s ever been given and it never occurred to him to ask for more than that.

So when Jim, glowing golden skin, shining blue eyes, dazzlingly brilliant mind, and rare soul, comes to him and says a tentative and shy “I love you Bones” it takes Leo’s breath away. He wants to turn him away, to keep his tarnish from Jim’s beauty.

But, it turns out, Leo is the first kind of person after all.


	20. Little Red Riding Hood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mirroverse light...very light.Ultralight, in fact. However there is brief mention of bodily harm and blood/guts type stuff. Also, this one is het and Spuhura...so if that kind of thing bothers you please don't read.

Uhura decided, first, that she liked the way he moved. She liked the detached look on his face as he tortured the poor souls stupid enough to fall to his machinations. She began to leave him little gifts; traitors, mutineers, once even an Ensign who’d thought it would be a good idea to grab her ass.

“You should know better than to touch things that don’t belong to you.” Spock growled as he wielded the bloody knife and sliced open another limb. Uhura felt her panties get wet just thinking about it.

There were no rules, as such, on the ISS Enterprise, but there was one guideline that everyone stuck to over pain of death. If there was to be an allegiance, the captain must be notified. So, when Uhura decided that she’d like to trap Spock into an allegiance, she set up a meeting with the captain.

Kirk was amused at Uhura’s choice, but made no argument against it. He had too much blackmail on her for her to make a move against him anyway; even if she did have the first officer on her side. She smiled, left the ready room and went back to stalking her prey.

Uhura was constantly underestimated, due to her gender. But really, one does not get onto the bridge crew of the Empire’s flag ship without some serious work. She liked that people saw her pretty, unscarred face and decided she wasn’t a threat. It made the look on their faces when she literally ripped their hearts out that much sweeter.

So she continued to stalk the first officer; learn his habits, his weak spots, his goals, his failures, and what turned him on. She continued to leave people in his path but was less circumspect about where the gifts had come from. He knew that she was watching him and he began to watch right back.

Finally, it was time for her to make a move. She invited him to her quarters all along thinking that she was the big, bad wolf in this scenario. She never thought she’d be the one eaten alive.

Uhura screamed again as he threaded the fingers of her right hand into Spock’s hair and reached up with the other to grab the headboard of her bed. She arched her back and ground her pussy into his face, thanking various deities for touch telepaths. Spock seemed to instinctively know every singe spot to touch, every single move to make in order for Uhura to lose her mind.

Within minutes of falling into bed, he’d made Uhura scream. And she screamed for hours, over and over again without him even taking off his clothes. His face and fingers were covered in her juices and her eyes were glassy with release. After her fifth orgasm, when she was shaky, sated and sleepy, she let her guard down.

She didn’t even have time to scream before Spock dragged the tip of his blade down her unmarred skin.

“You are beautiful now, Nyota.” He said with a gleam in his eye as he marked her as his own.


	21. Cinderella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinderella: To make up for the sad drabbles lately, here is some tooth rotting fluff and love between Jim and Joanna.

“Papa Jim, Papa Jim!” Jim smiled and turned towards the sound of Joanna’s voice; he’d never get tired of hearing her say that.

 

“Yes Joey?”

 

“I grew s’more!”

 

“You grew a s’more? That sounds great, so much better than all the nasty veggies that Daddy is trying to get us to eat! I think it’ll be my new favorite vegetable!”  She laughed and pushed at his shoulder as he crouched down so that they could talk eye to eye.

 

“No, silly Papa! Look, I grew more!”  She stuck out her tiny foot, and from the tips of her toes her favorite retro converse were dangling, unable to fit.

 

“Well, it looks like we need new shoes Joey! C’mon, lets go find a pair that fits so we can head to the shoe store.”  They headed down the hallway to her bedroom only to discover that not one pair in the whole closet fit her. 

 

JIm sighed and looked down at her, already exhausted after searching through the extensive collection of shoes in her closet.  He narrowed his eyes at her sock-clad feet.

 

“Well Joey, five is really too old to be wandering around with no shoes on. I guess Papa will have to carry you until we get some shoes. C’mon baby girl, lets go shopping.”

 

Jim hauled her outside, thinking that five was really too big for him to carry her around, and buckled her into her kiddie-seat before taking off towards the mall.  Jim loved shopping, but he had no idea what he was in for.

************************

“No Papa, those are too girly.”  Jo wrinkled her nose at the red, sequined pair.

 

“But Joey you are a girl.”  She sighed with as much disgust as a five year old could manage.

 

“Yah, but there’s girly and then there’s girly Papa and those are too girly.”  Jim rolled his eyes and gestured for another pair to be brought forth.

************************

“Papa, those shoes are for running!” Joey cried.  Jim wanted to cry too, but he held it together.

 

“What, you can’t wear shoes that are for running?”

 

“Not every day. Jeez, boys are weird.”  Jim bit his lip against the instant response of “you have no idea.”

************************

“I really like the brown ones Joey.”

 

“*SIGH* Papa, I can’t only have brown shoes.  What if I’m wearing a black belt?”  Jim looked confused, then immediately offended as his little girl traded giggles and knowing looks with with sales person helping them.

************************

“THOSE ONES!” Joey screeched as tiny cowboy boots were fitted onto her equally tiny feet. Jim squinted at them, then the price tag before turning to the sales person with a wide eyed look of shock.

 

“Joey those are a lot of money.”  Joey ignored him, jumping up off the chair and strutting back and forth past the pile of discards.  Jim didn’t want to spend that much money on one pair of shoes, especially since she couldn’t wear them every day, but how could he say no to her when she was just glowing with happiness.

 

“But Papa...” She turned to him with a pout, her father’s pout to be exact and he’d never been able to say no to either.  His shoulders slumped in defeat and he asked the extremely patient lady helping them to gather up all the ones that Joey had chosen.  

 

She wore the cowboy boots home.

 

When they arrived, Joey shot off towards her room to play while Jim dragged his feet inside and dropped the many packages of shoes just inside the door.  He slumped his way over to the couch where his husband was reclining in sweats and an old tee-shirt. Jim fell onto him, all of his energy gone.

 

“When did she become such a... princess?”  Jim mumbled into Bones’ stomach.  Bones laughed.

 

“She’s always been our little princess, Jimmy.  But now you’re officially her knight in shining armor.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone!! This is WeWillSpockYou and I am guest posting Cinderella today for NaughtyPastryChef because she is on her way to this little event called MEGACON in Orlando. She will be meeting our boy KARL URBAN!!! 
> 
> Send he some love on this piece and more love for her getting to meet Karl! Send Comic Con plot bunnies too, I know you have them!! 
> 
> XXOO and LLAP,  
> WeWillSpockYou


	22. Thumbelina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thumbelina: More drabbles for Spock and Nyota, toothache warning!

Nyota was currently putting Angavu to bed.  Her little daughter was the light of her life, and she would do anything for her little princess.  Nyota glanced up out of the corner of her eye and smiled when she saw Spock standing in the doorway, watching his girls.

 

“Momma, I want the story about the little girl who becomes a fairy.” Angavu whispered to her and Nyota hid a smile from her bond mate by smoothing the covers over their daughter.

 

“Thumbelina, again? Are you sure little one?”  Nyota knew that Spock found this story frustrating, not that he would ever admit to it.  It was supremely illogical and the fact that it was his daughter’s favorite was also illogical; to him.  Nyota took  great satisfaction in telling the story over and over to her beautiful baby.  She thought it was extremely logical that Spock’s daughter would understand the story in a way that he never could.

 

Nyota lay back on the covers and pulled her daughter to he side, so they could cuddle as she began the story. Angavu smiled into her mother’s side and closed her eyes happily as she let Nyota’s lovely voice soothe her to sleep.

 

“Once upon a time, there was a sweet peasant woman and her husband. They couldn’t have children, even though they wanted to very badly  One night, a beggar knocked on their door and offered a barleycorn for some food and shelter.  The kindly couple agreed....”

 

Spock watched his beloved Nyota as she told a bedtime story to their child and, though it was illogical, he felt happier and more at peace while listening to that ridiculous story than he ever had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! WeWillSpockYou here again, guest posting! NaughtyPastryChef is SIX hours away from meeting Karl Urban and I'm the one who can't sleep! This is day is going to be AMAZING!
> 
> XXOO and LLAP,  
> WeWillSpockYou


	23. Pinocchio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pinocchio: I have no idea where this came from....but it's how I see Jim "seeing" himself.

When Jim was a kid, alone in the house while his mother was off planet, his favorite thing to do was curl up in his bed and watch old Disney movies on his padd under the covers.  He had his favorites; Mulan, Brave, the little Mermaid.  But the one he loved more than any other was Pinocchio.  

 

He felt like that poor little puppet; identified with him.  He never felt real.  He was a marionette, controlled by many different forces but never under his own power.

 

He was George and Winona Kirk’s son; Franks’ stepson; the leader of the child rebels on Tarsus; Sam’s disappointing little brother. all of these different personas for one little boy; each of them pulling him in a different direction.

 

Taking Pike’s challenge and joining Starfleet cut his first rope.  He made that decision for himself alone, thinking of no one else when he did it.  He was gonna join Starfleet and be the man that no one thought he could be.

 

Making friends with the cranky, drunk Doctor on the shuttle snipped another one of his strings.  He knew it would be difficult, but his Bones treated him like he was his own person and never saw all the strings that Jim had controlling him.

 

The final string was cut the night that he decided to become Bones’ lover.  He gave up all of his preconceived notions about who and what he should be on that passionate night.  Bones worshiped his body and he gave just as good as he got.

 

When he woke up in the morning, he was entangled not by the strings he’d had his whole life, but by Bones’ strong arms.

 

He finally felt like a real boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! *waving* This is WeWillSpockYou here for the third and final day of guest posting! I can tell you that NaughtyPastryChef met KARL URBAN twice yesterday and will be seeing him again today!! I know she's dying to tell you all about him, so send a note! 
> 
> On a side note, this is my favorite of the Fairy Tales! Well done! 
> 
> XXOO and LLAP,  
> WeWillSpockYou


	24. Godfather Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's drabble is not a happy one. But I have love and fluff lined up for tomorrow!!! I promise!

Kodos. Tarsus IV.

Kodos liked to pretend that he was a good man; a savior. He knew all of the right things to say at the right times, at first. But the kids, the ones he’d chosen to personally mentor, they felt that something was off.

He soon acquired a nickname from the kids that were under his tutelage: Godfather Death. He tried to be caring and help people learn. But, he only brought death and destruction. He was wrong and he had to be stopped.

Jim didn’t want to be the one to stop him, but he had no choice. He stood up to his Godfather death, Kodos. And though Kodos was stopped, he left marks on Jim. Marks that Jim had forever.


	25. Nightingale

Leo loved to hear Jim sing. He didn’t do it enough, but whenever Leo heard Jim singing, he would stop just around the corner and listen. It always put a huge smile on his face that James Kirk had the voice of a nightingale.

The habit started at the academy, when they were living together. When Jim was working, he’d hum to himself. Eventually, once they knew each other better, Jim would often be comfortable enough to sing under his breath. One day, when Leo was coming home from a grueling shift, he opened the door and could hear Jim at his desk, singing away.

“Soon as you’re born they make you feel small  
By giving you no time instead of it all  
till the pain is so big, you feel nothing at all  
a working class hero is something to be   
a working class hero is something to be”

Leo fell in love a little, even as his heart broke with the meaning behind the words. He realized how much he could learn when he was hearing Jim sing. SO he listened.

Happy songs when Jim was truly happy, heartbreaking songs when Jim was trying to hide his feelings. He heard “you’ve got to hide your love away” more than once and it made his heart hurt for his friend to be in so much pain.

Once they achieved Jim’s vision for them, Captain and CMO of the Enterprise, Leo came upon Jim in the hallways, singing to the ship and Leo’s face broke out into the biggest smile. He leaned on the wall and listened just around the corner from Jim.

“My baby goes faster  
I love you   
zoom zoom zoom  
my sweet thing  
i love you  
my baby oooh  
I’m with you  
little floater  
you’ll be my   
rollercoaster”

Leo tried to keep quiet but Jim was singing a love song about a car to his starship and it was the cutest thing he’d ever heard in his life. He stayed to listen just a little bit more before slipping away silently.

“at every altitude  
I love your attitude  
you’re in the mood  
I’m in love with an automobile  
and I know it’s in love with me  
when I get behind the wheel  
I know what it is to be free”

But the first thing that comes into Leo’s head when he thinks of Jim’s singing, is the first time that Jim sang for him. They’d planned dinner in Jim’s quarters after they’d officially been dating for a while. When Leo sat down at the table, Jim stayed standing and looked nervous. Before Leo could ask what was wrong, Jim opened his mouth and began to sing a song that fit them so perfectly, that he had no words.

“We could just go home right now  
Or maybe we could stick around  
For just one more drink, oh yeah  
Get another bottle out  
Lets shoot the shit  
Sit back down  
For just one more drink, oh yeah

Here's to us  
Here's to love  
All the times  
That we fucked up  
Here's to you  
Fill the glass  
Cause the last few days  
Have kicked my ass  
So lets give em hell  
Wish everybody well  
Here's to us  
Here's to us

Stuck it out this far together  
Put our dreams through the shredder  
Let’s toast cause things got better  
and everything could change like that  
And all these years go by so fast  
But nothing lasts forever

Here's to us  
Here's to love  
All the times  
That we messed up  
Here's to you  
Fill the glass  
Cause the last few nights  
Have kicked my ass  
If they give you hell  
Tell em to go fuck themselves  
Here's to us  
Here's to us

Here's to all that we kissed  
And to all that we missed  
To the biggest mistakes  
That we just wouldn’t trade  
To us breaking up  
Without us breaking down  
To whatever's come our way

Here's to us  
Here's to love  
All the times  
That we fucked up  
Here's to you  
Fill the glass  
Cause the last few days  
Have kicked my ass  
So let's give em hell  
Wish everybody well

Here's to us  
Here's to love  
All the times  
That we messed up  
Here's to you  
Fill the glass  
Cause the last few nights  
Have kicked my ass  
If they give you hell  
Tell em to go fuck themselves  
(Go fuck themselves)  
Here's to us”

Leo couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs that Jim sings are:  
> Working Class Hero, John Lennon  
> Little Floater, NRBQ  
> Here's to Us, Halestorm


	26. The Blue Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a dark and scary story, so I searched my mind for associations with "blue light" and this little drabble was formed. Much love to Wewillspockyou for inspiring it! *mwah* *hugs and kisses*

Jim sat in his room, looking down at his iphone and getting overly excited at the little (...) symbol that meant Leo was writing something. He felt a thrill from it, knowing that he was chatting with someone who ‘got’ him so completely.

Jim and Leo had met online months previously. At first, they’d just messaged back and forth. Then they’d traded emails so that they could talk more in depth. Just recently they’d traded phone numbers and begun texting each other all day.

It made Jim’s heart race. He connected to this other boy so deeply. The symbol vanished and Jim knew that the message was flying through space to get to him. He felt a momentary flash of nerves about asking what he’d asked but he waited patiently for the other boy to respond.

(well darlin, I dunno about a face time,

but we could talk on the phone if you wanna)

                                                                                            (that’d be great Leo!)

Jim’s sweaty hands gripped his phone tight as he lay in bed. He read, he blogged, he played candy crush, but every time that little light lit up on his phone letting him know that he had another message, he flipped to that without delay.

Blue, he hoped that Leo liked Blue...because blue was Leo’s color in Jim’s mind.


	27. Sleeping Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has a very special place in my heart. I love the Disney movie and I've read so many versions of it over the years. It got a little long, but I really hope that y'all enjoy it as much as I have.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived three good fairies.

    -Uh, excuse me, but we dislike the term fairy  
    -Oh? I beg your pardon. What would you prefer then?  
    -We feel that Pixie has less negative connotations  
    -...All right then. May I get back to the narration now?  
    -Yep. That was all  
    -Ahem.

Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived three good pixies. There was Blue, or Spock; Green or Jimmy and Peach, or Lenny. The three pixies lived together in a cottage far into the forest, helping the citizens of their beloved kingdom. One fine day, they received an invitation to a party at the castle, for the Good king and queen had finally given birth to a daughter and there was much rejoicing as the land celebrated the birth of their new princess.

Spock, Jimmy and Lenny travelled from their little cottage in the woods for the princess’ naming celebration. The king and queen were much loved by all the people of the lands and had been trying for a baby for such a long time. The pixies enjoyed the travel and seeing the delight on the people’s faces.

Now, also living in the land, there lived and evil pixie.

    -Naw, you can call him a fairy *snicker*  
    -Oh, may I? Thank you.

The evil fairy was named Khan, and he was tired of being slighted by the good king and queen and never getting invited to the royal functions. It was a great breach of manners. In this vein, he decided that he would attend the naming ceremony for the new princess, and bestow a gift upon her.

Khan arrived just in time to see the good pixies presenting the princess, Nyota, with their gifts. Spock had given her the gift of intelligence. Jimmy had given her the gift of beauty; face, heart and mind. Just before Lenny could step up to the royal cradle and present his gift, Khan swept in.

He loudly berated the king and queen for their lack of propriety and announced that he had a gift for the princess of his own design.

“In penance for the sins of your parents, child, I give you this gift; sixteen years. You shall have sixteen years of life, but on your sixteenth birthday you shall prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die.” Kahn swept his great coat around him and vanished, leaving behind a stricken and pre-maturely grieving king and queen. They looked to Lenny, who had yet to bestow his gift.

“I cannot undo what Khan has done, but I may alter it. I give you sixteen years of perfect health and happiness and, on your sixteenth birthday, when you prick your finger, you shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep, where death and age cannot touch you.”

    -Such pretty words Lenny  
    -Shut up Jimmy

The king and queen, in their grief and fear, kept the child with them until she had been weaned. They made plans for her future and the longs years that they would have to endure life without her, then they summoned the pixies back to the castle.  
  
    -finally some action  
    -Shut up Jimmy  
    -What? I’m just trying to move the story along!  
    -No,Jimmy, you are being rude and halting the narration of the story  
    -Fine Spock, hey! How come his name doesn’t fit with the rhyme scheme?  
    -May I please return to the story now? We have quite a bit to get through  
    -Fine. But at some point I’d like an answer to my question. We could call him Spocky!

Spock, Jimmy and Lenny returned to the castle under the cover of darkness to meet with the king and queen. They were entrusted with the care of the infant princess; her happiness, education and training. They spirited her away in the dead of night and the good king and queen awoke to a more bleak dawn. Every spinning wheel in the kingdom was ordered to be smashed and burned and the subjects were informed that the infant princess was taken with a fever in the night, and perished. The king and queen withdrew into the castle in grief.

The pixies took their Nyota, whom they called Uhura to protect her, to their cottage in the woods. They put aside their magic and raised her as their own niece and she wanted for nothing. They had no contact with anyone for long years.

    -ain’t that such a crying shame  
    -Jimmy you’ve been warned before!  
    -Lenny, I’m not scared of a little peach fairy  
    -ALL RIGHT JIMMY! LETS GO!  
    -...*sigh*  
    -Spock?  
    -Oh, they shall work out their differences shortly. Please do ignore them and continue on  
    -All right then. Thank you Spock

For fifteen years, the pixies raised little Uhura as their own. She grew up beautiful, brilliant and strong, in mind and body. They taught her to be humble, loving and kind. They taught her to be sweet and fierce. And, above all, they instilled in her a sense of wonder and love for everything around her.

They also taught her how to defend herself. She learned languages from far off lands. They taught her weaponry.  
  
    -We taught her to be a bad ass bitch who don’t take no shit from no one.  
    -Jimmy, this is a kids story, you can’t say that!  
    -Why not Lenny? It’s true!  
    -Gentlemen please! WE are trying to tell a story!  
    -Oh, right, uh, on with it then  
    -thanks

On the eve of Uhura’s sixteenth birthday, her uncles asked her to head out into the forest and pick flowers and berries for a special meal. Uhura went happily enough, suspecting that her uncles were planning a birthday surprise, but allowing them to keep their secrets.  
  
    -we didn’t raise no fool  
    -...  
    -...  
    -...Anyway

Uhura went out into the forest with her basket, bow and quiver, deciding that she would take the time to get in more target practice along the way. She picked flowers that caught her eye on the way down to the stream where the blueberry and blackberry bushes were the ripest.

Her basket was full and her quiver empty and the sun had just begun its decent from high noon. She toes off her soft leather boots and placed her feet in the stream, laying back to catch the sun on her upturned face. She drifted off in the light and warmth.  
  
She was awoken by a loud splash and immediately jumped up and went into a defensive position. She looked around to find the source of the sound and saw a man in the stream, soaked, with a furious look on his face as he looked at the horse that had clearly thrown him. Staying alert and cautious, Uhura stood slowly from her crouch.

“Why’d you throw me like that you daft horse?” The man had an accent that Uhura couldn’t place, but sounded somehow lyrical to her.

“I think that he saw me and was trying not to run me over.” Uhura said, startling the damp man. She smiled widely as he tried, and failed, to get out of the stream with some dignity.

“I’m sorry lass, I dinnae even see ye. I’m certainly glad that he did though, t’would’ve been a true shame if a beauty like ye had befallen any harm. I’m Scotty.” He held out a wet hand in and Uhura, charmed by his awkwardness, took it helplessly.

“My uncles call me Uhura.”

    -WHAT?!?!?!  
    -Jimmy, you know this part of the story. WE’ve already seen the ending.  
    -Oh yeah, Sorry. I got caught up in the story.

Uhura and Scotty passed a lovely, diverting afternoon in each other’s company. They enjoyed spending time together so much that Scotty asked Uhura to join him the next evening for a hunt. She accepted, knowing that her uncles could never say no to her when she really wanted something; and it was her birthday.

At the cabin, things were not going quite the way her uncles had planned. Jimmy, who up until this point always avoided anything to do with the kitchen, had decided that he was going to make Uhura’s birthday cake. Lenny and Spock were set to sew her a new ball gown, with hidden weapons pockets, for her reentry into palace life.

All three were worried about telling Uhura the truth, but they knew it had to be done. As a trio, they had decided to give her gifts, have dinner and cake then sit her down and tell her. All three knew it would not be easy. The cake baking and dress making were welcome distractions.

Lenny grabbed the rolls of fabric that they’d procured for her and stood Spock on a footstool so that he could play the dressmaker’s dummy.

“This is highly illogical, doing it all by hand.” Spock protested as Lenny fitted a corset onto his slender frame to try and give him some curves.

“We all decided that we’d not use magic until she...she wasn’t ours anymore. It’s too dangerous. With one day left you wanna announce to Khan where she is? Cause he’s still out there.”

“Yeah Spock. Besides we’ve gone this long without cheating, how bad could one more day be? Tsp? What the hell is a tsp?” Jim mumbled his two cents from the kitchen. Lenny laughed to himself over Jimmy’s ineptitude in the kitchen, but stopped quickly and frowned at Spock who was trying to edge his way to the hidden cabinet where they’d hid their wands all those years ago.

“Stop right there and come back here BLUE! WE said no magic and we meant it!” Spock narrowed his eyes at Lenny, but returned to the footstool in a huff.

“You are both supremely illogical creatures but you will see my way is better soon enough.” Lenny harrumphed and went back to sewing sleeves onto the dress. The sleeves looked a little lopsided, but he was sure they would right themselves once he finished with his sewing. He went back to the pattern, consulting his next move when he was distracted by a burning smell. He left Spock and rushed to the kitchen to be greeted by a billowing cloud of black smoke.

He could hear Jimmy coughing up a lung as he threw open the window and grabbed a towel to try and get some of the smoke out of the little cottage.

“How the hell high did you turn the oven, Green?” Lenny coughed as he waved away the smoke through watering eyes. He looked over to where Jimmy was standing, one hand on the counter next to a small mountain of dirty bowls as he choked.

“Well...it said -cough- 250 for three hours so I thought I’d cook it at 500 for an hour and a half-cough-.” Jimmy moved to open the door and help dissipate the smoke but the smoke vanished before he could reach it. Lenny and Jimmy turned to see Spock, in the monstrosity of a dress, holding all three of their wands.

“Hey Blue, we had it all under contr-” Spock held up a hand to cut Jimmy off.

“Illogical. You did not have anything under control and we are fixing that now. Bar the doors and the windows, we shall fix this for our Uhura. I will not allow your stubbornness to ruin her day.” Lenny and Jimmy looked at each other and shared a silent conversation before nodding and turning to do as Spock bid them.

An hour later, as Uhura opened the door to the cottage, the whole place was spotless, the cake was magnificent and the gorgeous dress was artfully draped over the small couch by the fire. She gasped and ran into the house, forgetting to shut the door in her haste.

She was greeted with hugs and smiles from her uncles and the four sat down to enjoy what would be their last meal as a family. The food was good, and the company better, but the pixies could tell that Uhura was excited for something other than their company. They moved from the table to the sitting room by the fire.

She excitedly began to tell her uncles about the man she met in the forest. How much fun he was and how he enjoyed speaking with her. How they liked the same fighting styles and preferred the bow to the sword. She was confused by their sad faces as she talked and finally calmed down, asking them why they were not happy for her.

“Uhura, there is something we must tell you. You are not our niece by blood. Your parents... your parents are the king and queen of the realm. You must go back to them dear child.” Spock started, but cut himself off at the sight of their beautiful Uhura’s tears.

“There was a curse placed on you at your namin ceremony darlin. They, your parents, sent you with us to keep you safe until you could return to them and be the princess we raised you to be.” Lenny added sitting next to her on the couch and pulling her unwilling body into his arms. She didn’t relax until she felt his kiss on the top of her head. She turned her face into his shoulder and let her tears fall.

“We love you darlin, so much. We know this is just awful but you gotta trust that we tried to do the best we could for you. We love you like you were our own darlin.” Lenny whispered into her hair as her tiny body was racked with sobs.

Jimmy stayed uncharacteristically silent, hovering by Spock who looked as though he was about to burst into tears too. The four of them stayed where they were, the room silent but for Uhura’s crying. None of them saw the face of the little man in the open doorway.

Uhura, and her uncles, allowed a bit of time for her to pull herself together and dress for travel back to the castle. Uhura cycled through many emotions, disbelief being chief among them when she learned that her name was Nyota, before finally settling on acceptance as she stiffened her backbone. They wanted a princess, they would get a princess, but on her own terms. She would be all of the things that her uncles taught her to be and more.

    -Our baby!  
    -...Lenny are you crying?  
    -Yes I am and I’m man enough to admit it. I’m so proud dammit.

She dressed herself in the gorgeous gown that her uncles made; it was fit for a princess. Then she armed herself to the teeth, using every hidden weapon pocket in the dress and adding a few holsters for good measure. She covered herself with a heavy, hooded cloak. The four extinguished the fire and all the lights in the only home that Nyota had ever known, before heading out into the dark night.

Deep across the forest, Khan sat in his own castle surrounded by his minions; the goblins, the trolls, the brownies. All of the creatures that no one wanted around. They were his people to protect, and punish, with his will.

“Oh great Khan, I come to you bearing information about the princess!” The strange little man who’d been spying on the pixies at their cottage earlier, pushed his way through the throngs of beings to kneel at Khan’s feet. Khan looked at him, waiting for more. He was finally interested in something after fifteen long years of waiting. He could feel the pull of the curse growing stronger and stronger. The little man gave his report and Khan’s eyes flashed icy grey as he sat in thought.

“Excellent. We shall finally have our revenge.” He swept from the room. The minions looked at each other in confusion but decided against asking for clarification that none of them would understand anyway. They simply waited for instructions.

    - stupid, fuckin goblin bastards  
    -LENNY! Kids story, remember?  
    -Yes Lenny, your language is deplorable  
    -...Fine. Sorry.

Nyota sat in her bedchamber in the castle, combing her hair and trying to clear her mind for what was to come. Her uncles, for she would always think of them as her beloved uncles, had given her the whole story on the trip to the castle. Now that she knew what was coming, she thought they could strategize and come out victorious. She was distracted by a strange light in the mirror and stood up, turning to face it.

It was a glowing green orb of light, hovering in midair.It moved and, cautiously, she followed it. Every plan that they’d come up with fled her head as she gazed into the light and, therefore, she had no idea that her uncles were watching and waiting for this moment. They grit their teeth and followed her.

The orb led her through a maze of corridors and back staircases until it stopped in an old, unused attic space high in a tower. It went blindingly bright for a moment and vanished suddenly leaving behind a spinning wheel.

“You must do this Nyota. It is the only way.” Spock said. Nyota jumped and turned to see her beloved uncles in the doorway behind her.

“You know our plan, which has a 97.9 % chance of success.” She smiled at Spock’s certainty.

“Yes, uncle, I know. I do not doubt the plan, merely my own part in it.” Jimmy stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t doubt yourself. We have faith in you, our princess.” She smiled through her tears as she grabbed her favorite dagger from the sheath on her wrist.

Lenny, when he had altered Khan’s curse all those years ago, had chosen his words wisely. Death and age could not touch Nyota in her cursed sleep. So, Nyota grabbed her knife and turned it on herself before she touched the spindle.

She began to drop to the floor but Lenny caught her, checking her self-inflicted wound as Spock and Jimmy created a bed for her to rest upon. Lenny placed her upon the bed and arranged her limbs comfortably before the three fairies

    -Pixies! How many times do we have to -mmph!  
    -Sorry about Jimmy, he always gets overly emotional at this point in the story. Jimmy, did you just lick my hand?  
    -Yeah, Lenny, I did! Cause she agreed not to call us fairies!  
    - Frightfully sorry boys. I got overly enthusiastic. May I continue?  
    -Please. But we’ve got our eyes on you.

The three manly pixies went to work once Nyota was peacefully settled. They charmed the entire castle and all of its inhabitants to sleep. They traveled to the neighboring realm and alerted Nyota’s betrothed to what was going on, giving him their carefully thought out plan and enlisting his all too willing help. Once he was on his way, they clumsily snuck into Khan’s castle in the forest and allowed themselves to be captured.

Khan wasted no time at all in coming to the cell to gloat over his victory.

    -Can we please skip this part? Everyone knows that Khan is a fairy douche-nozzle.  
    -...seriously Jimmy?  
    -What? Am I wrong?  
    -...no, but that’s so not the point. Spock, help me out here.  
    -Yes, Jimmy, your language doesn’t even make sense. What is a douche nozzle, and what does it have to do with Khan?  
    -Boys! Please, stop fighting. I’m trying to finish the story.  
    -yes ma’am  
    -yes ma’am  
    -yes ma’am  
    -Thank you.

The pixies pretended to spill their plans about Prince Monty’s gallant rescue of beloved Nyota and Khan flew into a rage, storming from the castle before he’d even secured their wands. They slipped away easily, heading back to the castle as fast as they could.

Khan sped to the sleeping castle and cast an enchantment that made thorny rose briars grow around the entire compound. Then, he sat and waited until he saw the Prince attacking at the front gate.

While Khan was engaged with the prince, Nyota awoke from her slumber fully healed and energized. Ready to fight. She checked her weapons and cut off the skirt of her dress, sacrificing it to better things. She pulled on her soft, leather hunting boots and slipped out the window of the tower, climbing to the roof.

    -dammit Nyota! Do you know how hard we worked on that dress?  
    -...You expected her to fight Khan in the dress that you epically failed to sew?  
    -Would it be so bad if I...argh. Dammit. Nevermind, I don’t want to argue right now.

Nyota knew that Khan was likely to be engaged at the front gate, so she made her way there silently jumping across the rooftops as she attempted to stay in the shadows. When she was nearing the front of the grounds she could see a tall dark figure actually sitting on the gate itself. It was tossing brightly colored orbs from its hands and she knew it had to be Khan. She crept to the side, trying to see over the wall and outside.

She could just make out the glowing of her uncles as they stood by the Prince, fighting their way through what looked to be mountains of rose briars. She flashed her blade in the low light; their pre-arranged signal. She saw green flare briefly before vanishing and knew that her uncle Jimmy was on his way to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare.

When Jimmy reached her side, they said nothing. They didn’t hug or weep. They nodded at each other and separated to outflank Khan while he was still distracted. Nyota crept up on his left flank, Jimmy on his right. Jimmy glowed bright to catch his attention before Nyota attacked.

“You should have stayed asleep little princess!” Khan yelled as he blocked Nyota’s attack. She flashed out with her knives, slicing at his arms and face before rolling away. She saw Jimmy throw something at the back of Khan’s head. It all got a little blurry for her after that.

Khan was dark light, the absence of light. Jimmy, now joined by Spock and Lenny, were bright balls of green, blue and peach light. It was too fast to follow for long minutes and Nyota couldn’t tell what was happening. Then, all light vanished and a giant dragon was rearing up in front of her. She gasped and fell backwards.

Nyota shakily got to her feet and pulled out her final weapon; a sword. It was not the one she’d trained with, but one that she found by her bedside when she’d woken. She pulled the massive sword from its sheath and held it in front of her, marveling at how right it felt in her hands. The dragon snapped its giant jaws at her and she swung at it, hitting the snout. She jumped out of the way to avoid its terrible fire and swung again.

This went on for many long minutes and Nyota’s arm was tiring. Her body was weary and she began to become frightened that she would not succeed. Just as she felt herself giving into despair, she saw the lights of her uncles behind the dragon. Their survival gave her the strength she needed. She took a chance.

Nyota threw her new sword as hard as she could at the sensitive underbelly of the Khan dragon. Its aim was true and it struck the dragon in the heart. Khan gave a horrible, ear piercing scream and was gone. Nothing more than a black cloak stuck in a wall by a sword. Nyota collapsed.

When Nyota woke again, she was in her very own bedchamber within the castle. She was dressed in a soft night-shirt as she lay on equally soft sheets. There were three little glows on her bedside table and she turned to them and smiled. They resolved into her uncles. Nyota, overcome with love for them and what they’d done, jumped from her bed and wrapped her arms around them all.

“Darlin Nyota, I am so proud to call you my princess.” Lenny smiled through his tears and got down on one knee in show of fealty and love.

    -Lenny, you old sap.  
    -Shut it Spock. Your turn is comin up you know.

“You shall always and forever be our niece, Uhura.” Spock knelt next to Lenny.

    -Told’ya.  
    -Yes Lenny, I’m so proud that you remembered how the story happened.  
    -....you sassin me Spocky?

“Beautiful princess Nyota Uhura. You are a new kind of princess and shall be an inspiration to girls from all realms. I, too, am proud to call you my princess and swear fealty.” Jimmy knelt next to Lenny and Spock, smiling up at their crying girl.

    -Are the three of you crying?  
    -No, we all have allergies.  
    -....okay then, fairies, almost over.  
    -HEY!

Nyota was indeed a new kind of princess. She met her parents joyfully, the family and entire realm rejoicing at the reunion. She learned that her friend Scotty from the woods was also her betrothed, Prince Monty. They laughed as they disregarded the marriage contract. Nyota and Scotty realized that they were better off friends, and went hunting together often.

Nyota would find her prince charming one day, but it would be someone that wasn’t intimidated by an educated princess who could and would save herself.

As for the pixies, they’re still around. They help those who need help, annoy people who need annoying, and bring smiles everywhere they allow themselves to be seen. And they hope you enjoyed the story of the first, but not the last, princess that they taught to save herself.

THE END

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra special thanks to readithoney and wewillspockyou for coddling me through this one.I couldn't have done it without you lovelies!


	28. Beauty and the Beast

Bones has two sides to him, as do most people, Jim thinks.

“Jimmy darlin”

“Jimmy darlin”

“Jimmy darlin”

Those quickly become Jim’s favorite words, when he and Bones finally become a couple. The times where Bones is openly, visibly sweet and caring. His tone is soft. His eyes are sympathetic and loving. His whole demeanor is affectionate. It melts Jim. He wants to nuzzle into Bones body and soul on those days. On those days, he wants to stay in, blanket Bones’ body with his own just as Bones blankets Jim’s soul.

“Dammit Jim!”

“Dammit Jim”

“Dammit Jim!”

Sometimes Jim thinks he should change his name. Bones gets mad and he only knows cantankerousness as a way to show his concern. He’s the CMO of the ship; he can’t be seen weeping in a corner. So gets cranky and Jim is his most popular recipient. Jim knows he deserves a lot of it; he makes foolhardy decisions and sometimes he gets hurt. He ignores the advice of the brilliant people that he has surrounded himself with; Jim is grateful that there’s at least one person on the ship to call him out.

He doesn’t do it to make Bones angry but it happens none the less. There are days that Jim hears the echos of “dammit Jim” in his head with each beat of his heart. He wont stop and they both know it. Jim feels the love in Bones’ voice even through the cursing; it just means that he cares.

Jim doesn’t know which Bones he’s going to get today. He’s got his customary scowl on his face and he takes up his place behind the captain’s chair with ease. Everyone leaves him alone, no longer questioning his place at Jim’s side. They stare out of the viewscreen in silence for a bit.

“Captain?” A question in Georgia drawl sounds. Jim starts in his chair and turns just enough to turn and smile at the asker.

“Yeah Bones?” He sees Bones’ smile spread from his lips, to his eyes, then his whole body. The tension comes out of him and Jim feels himself smile bigger in response, a never ending loop for the two of them.

“I need to ask you a question.” Jim tips his head in the universally recognized sign for go ahead. Some of the tension rolls back into Bones’ shoulders and Jim briefly wonders if he should have taken Bones to his ready room for some privacy. Jim is intrigued as Bones comes around the chair and stands in front of him. That’s when he drops to one knee.

“Jim. Sometimes I know I’m an asshole. I know I’m cantankerous and grumpy and you are the only person in the world who can deal with me on those days. And you still manage to smile at me like I’m your everything. You make me a better man, Jim. You bring sunshine and happiness into my life. I never thought I could do this again but you, Jim, you make everything possible. If you could consent to...what I mean to say is that would you please agree to ... be mine forever Jimmy darlin?” Bones’ eyes were so full of love Jim had to force himself to breathe.

He distantly heard an exclamation from Uhura, but paid it no mind as Bones’ closed fist opened to show Jim a gorgeous platinum band. It was polished with an infinity channel of yellow diamonds running through the middle of it. Jim bit down hard on his lip as he looked from Bones’ face to the ring and back.

“Bones...” Jim started and the smile slipped off Bones’ face to be replaced by worry. He thought Jim was gonna turn him down! Jim upped the wattage on his smile as he slid off his chair to kneel up against Bones.

“Of course.” Bones trembled in relief as he grasped Jim’s hand to slide the ring onto it.


	29. The Hare's Bride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some cute, fluffy loveliness on this glorious Saturday! This one popped into my head, nearly fully formed when I read the original.

“LH?” Leo popped his head up from the pile of medical books he’d been studying and turned towards his mother’s voice. He stood up and popped his back with a groan as he answered her questioning call.

“Yeah Mama?” He walked into the kitchen and saw her standing at the sink, looking out of the window into the garden.

“You know how i was thinkin it was a rabbit or some other critter that was gettin into my garden?” Leo nodded as he stepped closer to her and tried to see what she was seeing out the window.

“Well, LH, I was wrong. There’s a skinny, dirty little boy out there pullin up my carrots and cabbage. G’wan now, go out there.” Leo stomped towards the back door of the house, only to be pulled up short by a hand on his arm. He looked up into his mama’s face.

“L.H. be gentle with him,you hear? He looks... well, don’t just go out there and scare him off. If he’s hungry enough to have to steal from a garden, you bring him inside and I’ll cook for him.” Leo’s frustrated eyes softened at his mama’s words.

He stepped outside silently and observed the ragamuffin stealing from their garden. Mama was right, he was skinny and dirty and, damn, he looked tiny. Leo pegged him for no more than 13. He crept up behind the boy, who clearly was starving as he crunched on dirty carrots and tried to stuff his threadbare pockets as full as he could.

“Kid.” Leo said softly and the little boy looked up, fear written all over his face. He looked about ready to bolt, so Leo gently reached out and took hold of his arm.

“C’mon. Inside with you.” He dragged the still silent boy into the house and stood him on the rug just inside the door; mama took her clean house seriously and this kid wasn’t about to cause Leo to have to scrub the floors.

“What’s your name child?” Mama asked softly from where she sat at the table. The kid finished chewing his stolen carrots and swallowed noisily.

“Jim. I’m real sorry I stole from your garden but I...” He started out fierce, but trailed off when he got shy. Leo’s heart went out to him.

“Do you have parents Jimmy?” Jim’s wide blue eyes showed no lie as he shook his head in the negative and Leo’s heart broke just a little more.

“How old are you Jimmy?” Leo was shocked to hear himself ask, but everything about this was surreal.

“I’m fifteen. I’m real sorry again, I can, I can try to get some money to pay you back. Well, if...” He trailed off and those blue eyes looked down at the floor again. Leo looked across the kitchen and shared a look with his mama; a whole silent conversation happened in a few short seconds.

“No, Jimmy, that won’t be necessary. But, If you’ve got no parents well, then, why don’t you work it off for me? It’s just me and LH here in this big, old house. I think we could use some help round here.” Mama smiled at Jim’s shocked face.

“I think you’re too skinny to fit in LH’s clothes, but I might have some old ones that would do the trick. Why don’t you let him show you where the bathroom is and get washed up and I’ll take some of those veggies you’ve got there and make you some food. That sound okay by you?” Jim blinked and nodded hesitantly, like he couldn’t believe he wasn’t being yelled at.

Leo gently guided Jim towards the stairs and got him all set in the bathroom, waiting outside the door until he was done. When all the dirt washed off, Leo could see just how emaciated Jim was; it made him look even younger and broke Leo’s heart even more. He guided him into the guest room, where mama had laid out some of his old clothes and provided a trash bag for Jim’s rags.

“Go ahead, get changed. Mama’s prolly got some hot food for you downstairs and, when you’re done, you and me can watch a movie?” Jim nodded and dropped his towel without a thought, reaching towards the old, warn in clothes with a reverence that made Leo want to pull Jim to him and hug him forever. He stepped away with a cough and waited.

After feeding Jim a good meal, Leo could see his eyelids were drooping, but he seemed so happy to sit with him that he still guided him into the den and picked out one of his favorite movies, The Pirates of the Carribean. Jim said nothing as they settled onto opposite ends of the couch and Leo fired it up.

Even before Elizabeth fainted and fell into the water to be saved by captain Jack Sparrow, Jim was asleep. Leo packed his books away and picked Jim up to carry him to the guest room. He lay him down on the bed and brushed the hair away from his face before tip-toeing out of the room and into his own. Mama was waiting there for him.

“LH, I know that you don’t like the idea of me taking in a stray, but you’re gonna be off all over the place for school and I got no one here to help me out. I think, if Jim wants to, I’m gonna take him in for more than a few nights.” Leo sighed and sat down on his bed.

“Yeah, mama, I agree. I think it’ll be good for both of you and we decided that I’d go to school here in Savannah instead of Ole Miss, so I’ll be home more’n I’m not.” Mama stroked the top of his head before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Okay baby. I’ll see you in the morning.”

**********************************

Jim thought life with the McCoys was the best thing ever. He did his chores, cleaning and working in the garden, and in return Miss Elizabeth taught him stuff from old school books, and gave him clothes and fed him. It was perfect. He loved spending time with LH, or Bones as Jim liked to call him, and waited breathlessly for the times that Bones came home from school and didn’t have to start on his homework right away.

Jim had heard that there were families like this one, but he’d thought it was just stories. He started to believe in God the day that miss Elizabeth took him into her home.

*********************************

Leo watched as Jim filled out and grew up. Leo kept his feelings to himself about Jim’s ‘dates’ once he started to bring them home to meet him and mama. Leo felt like a pervert when he started to have dreams about Jim...

Four years Jim lived with them before Leo entertained anything other than affection for the skinny, dirty, ragamuffin that they’d taken into their home. Leo was finished with his undergrad studies and about to head into Med school when his feelings for Jim became distinctly un-brotherly. He tried to run away from it; Mama caught him.

“LH, don’t you dare take back what you promised me. You’ll not run away from me an Jim just because you’ve finally realized what he and I realized long ago.” Leo stopped dead at that statement and turned around.

“What?” He felt like he’d been punched in the solar plexus. Mama smiled at him fondly.

“Jim’s been in love with you for years, probably since the night we took him in. You thought it was hero worship boy, but you were wrong. He confessed to me a while back, that he was in love with you. I told him to wait, and wait he has. Now, do I need to give you any more instructions, boy, or can you handle it from here?” Leo smiled at his mama and kissed her cheeks before running off to find Jim.

It all came to a head in the same place they’d first laid eyes on each other; Mama’s garden. This time, however, Jim wasn’t some skinny, dirty little boy. Jim was a 20 year old with gorgeous, glowing skin as he whipped off his shirt and wiped the sweat from his head. He heard Leo’s approach and turned to look up at him with a smile.

Leo dropped to his knees in the dirt and pulled Jim to him, kissing him for all he was worth. Leo moaned as he licked his way into Jim’s smiling mouth, tasting dirt and sweat and Jim. It was heavenly. Jim kissed back just as fiercely; grabbing Leo’s shirt in his sweaty hands and fisting it to get them impossibly closer.

“Boys! You’ll ruin my garden and my reputation! Get inside the house or, rather, go somewhere I don’t have to see it along with the rest of the neighbors!” Leo broke off with a laugh and his heart just swelled fit to burst when he looked at Jim’s face. They helped each other up from the dirt and linked hands, walking towards Leo’s beat-up old car.

“Mama, we’re gonna go for a drive. We’ll be back later!” Leo yelled over his shoulder as Mama laughed at them.

“Sure you are.” She laughed.


	30. The Six Swans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhkaaaayyyyy, this one is epic. Like, it took me all month and clocked in at just under 24 pages. It...got away from me, but I just love it so much. I hope y'all enjoy. NSFW Chapter here!!!!

Jim wasn’t sure if he was looking at his worst nightmare or one of his wildest wet dreams. Honestly, the fact that it could be both at once was terrifying him.

There were six Leonard McCoys standing in front of him. Well, it was still, technically speaking, one Leonard McCoy but broken into six of his parts. Jim wasn’t gonna lie, he’d tuned out some of the technical discussion, though Spock was muttering “fascinating” under his breath with nearly every other word.

The inhabitants of this planet were highly evolved far beyond humans and even Vulcans, having near to God-like abilities in both their eyes.

Jim, Spock and Bones had beamed down to the planet to conduct talks with the planet’s leaders and all had seemed to be going well, at first. The people were interested in joining the Federation. They had no resources to trade other than people and their abilities. Nearing the end of the talks, one of the planet’s leaders had looked hard at Bones and announced that he was somehow unsettled; at war within himself. He then asked if Bones would be willing to submit himself to a showing of the planets abilities; to show how they could be of use to the federation. Bones reluctantly agreed; Jim was certain that they’d preyed on his sentiment as a man of healing.

They’d been led from the banquet hall to another room, one with a raised dais and altar. Bones was asked to lay down across the altar and two priests were brought in to speak over him in a language that their translators couldn’t decipher. Minutes later, Bones was gone-in a manner of speaking.

In his place, standing in front of the altar, were six different men or rather, six different parts of Leonard McCoy’s soul, pulled out and put on display. Because he was at war within himself, Jim scoffed internally as he looked them over.

Physically, they all had Bones....looks. There were enough subtle differences between them to make Jim look closely at each one in turn. They were introduced by the Priests and asked for the name they would prefer to be called.

The lover: He was shockingly blonde on the top of his head but had a face full of dark scruff and wings. Jim wondered how he could possibly have wings. It didn’t make any sense at all. He smiled easily. His chest was bared, smooth and hairless and Jim felt himself get excited at just how gorgeous he was. He laughingly said his name was Cupid.

The warrior: Funnily enough, he also had blonde hair but it was somehow softer in color and much longer. He was covered from head to toe in armor, so Jim couldn’t get a good look at his body but there was something about that armor that made Jim shiver. He said his name was Eomer.

The peacekeeper: He looked the most like Jim’s Bones; though his hair was artfully tousled instead of neatly combed. He had shoulder holsters and some kind of projectile weapon in them. Jim licked his lips. He asked to be called John Kennex.

The leader: He looked like Bones but surveyed the room with such a disdainful look on his handsome face that Jim couldn’t reconcile him being any part of Bones inner self. Jim laughed aloud as he haughtily announced that his was was to be called Caesar. Even Spock looked surprised.

The Sinner: This one...Jim couldn’t look at him too closely without wanting to either laugh at the horrible hair or climb him like a tree and lick him all over. He had this air about him; he exuded sex and violence. He looked at Jim, right into Jim’s soul, as he gave his name: Vaako.

The inner child: Now, privately Jim thought inner child might be a misnomer as this version of Bones looked to be in his late teens at the youngest. But he was visibly softer than the other versions of himself. His body was softer, his look was softer...Jim undressed him mentally from toes to eyes, finding the vulnerability enchanting. He was shocked to get a lascivious wink when their eyes met and Jim laughed aloud. Inner child was wrong; this was Bones’ inner twink. He shyly said his name was Jaime.

“Captain, as you are the closest person to your Doctor McCoy, it shall be your job to help him reconcile the parts of himself. This exercise, we have found, works much better in a paired set. As there are six forms, you shall have six weeks. One week for each part of him. Ferret out their secrets, learn their intentions, discover what it is that is keeping them separate. If you do this, your Doctor will be returned to you.” Jim’s eyes widened; there was a chance they might not get Bones back? He was horrified and spoke without thinking.

“Six weeks and it might not work? We need our CMO back now; we don’t have time to stay here for six weeks only to discover that it didn’t work!” Spock stepped up to his side and cupped his elbow, turning him slightly.

“Captain, while the delay is unfortunate, leaving without the doctor would be impossible. There is nothing truly more pressing that requires our presence. We must put all of our energies into returning Doctor McCoy to himself.” Jim snorted through his nose in anger.

His eyes reluctantly returned to the six forms that hovered by the altar, waiting to be told what to do. Six versions of his Bones. He was resigned to his fate. He had to fix it. He couldn’t live without Bones. Spock turned back to the head priest.

“It is fascinating that they all have names and histories that differ greatly from our Doctor. Is it possible that they are not parts of the doctor’s soul but his past lives?” The priest sputtered as the placid smile fell from his face. Jim turned Spock to face him.

“I’m surprised at you Spock, that sounds like something I would suggest. I’m still waiting for you to throw your hands in the air and declare this all illogical.” Spock raised a perfectly posed eyebrow.

“It cannot be illogical, Captain, when there is proof right before my eyes.” Jim stomped away in disgust, fully aware of how ridiculous he looked. He walked over and introduced himself to each one of the Bones. Jim shot a look over his shoulder at Spock, who had a knowing smile on his face. Jim squinted at him suspiciously; he knew Spock was up to something but he didn’t have a clue as to what.

He observed as much as he could while introducing himself and felt that Spock’s past lives theory was becoming more and more logical with each thing he observed. The thought made him deeply nervous; how could he help Bones’ past lives reconcile? What did that even mean? How was he even supposed to start?

The priest clapped his hands and called all attention to him. Rooms had been prepared for all of them and servants had been called to show them the way. The six, as Jim started referring to them, turned as one and filed out of the room, not speaking to each other or anyone else. That is, until Jaime was passing Jim. Jaime gave him another assessing look and encouraging smile on his way out; one that had Jim’s dick perking up and taking notice.

He made his decision; he’d start with that one.

The next morning, after a sleepless night and a lot of pacing on Jim’s part, he was escorted to Jaime’s room. The servant gave them information about how to summon someone should they need anything, bowed, then left the two of them alone.

“Sooo, Jim, right?” Jim lost his breath at Jaime’s voice. It was so clearly young, and he had some bizarre accent that seemed to go straight to Jim’s cock. Of course, the winks, lip licking and suggestive look on his face certainly didn’t hurt either.

“Yeah, Jim. We met yesterday. Can you remember that far back?” Jim figured he might as well make himself comfortable and sat on the couch. He spread his knees lewdly and lay his arms over the back of the couch and watched avidly as Jaime sauntered over to him before perching on the couch next to him, far into Jim’s personal space.

“So were’re supposed to talk, right? About whatever it is that’s keeping you at war with yourself.” While Jim usually didn’t mind being pursued, Jaime was taking it a little far, considering that they’d just met the day before. As he’d spoken, Jaime leaned further and further into Jim’s space, until they were sharing breaths.

“Well, Jim, what do you want to know? I can be an open book for you.” Jaime purred into Jim’s face. Jim shifted his hips when he realized just how much his cock was interested in the proceedings.

“Tell me about you. I know that the priest guy said that you were Bones’ inner child but...I’m not getting that feeling. I feel like you’re... a past life. So tell me about your life.” Jim swallowed hard at the once-over Jaime gave him. The conversation was the most sexually charged situation Jim had been in since the academy.

“Well, lets see. I’m an ambulance driver for a hospital in New Zealand. I have friends and a string of...boyfriends but no one to come home to every night. I like long walks on the beach, reading, working and getting fucked by blonde boys with pretty blue eyes.” Jim blinked, then smiled back.

If this was how every week was going to go, he was gonna have a great time. He widened his legs a little bit more and gave Jaime a suggestive look. Jaime took the hint and slid to his knees in front of him.

“Jim, don’t I even get a kiss first?” Jim leaned over and obliged, taking Jaime’s sweet lips in a fiery, messy kiss. He plundered the kid’s mouth with his tongue, deciding that Jaime tasted like sunshine and sin. Jim pulled back with a gasp and forced his back into the couch cushions.

“You’ve had your kiss, kid and I gotta say, you got a sweet mouth on you. What else can you do with it?” Jim smiled as Jaime’s soft hands rose up to the fly of his pants. He sighed as his cock was freed from the tight pants. He could see Jaime’s pink tongue come out to wet his kiss swollen lips before he pressed a kiss to the tip.

“Fuck yeah.” Jim hissed into the air as Jaime slid his lips down over the glans and went to work, sucking Jim’s cock like a pro. He swallowed all the way down to the root, flexing his throat around the tip as Jim fought the impulse to fuck the kid’s throat.

Jim made the mistake of looking down and he saw Jaime’s throat distended with his cock, and that was all it took. Jim slid his hand into the silky, dark hair and lifted his hips, coming down Jaime’s throat. The kid swallowed it all.

In the aftermath, Jim managed to push, pull and cajole Jaime into the lavish bedroom and collapse onto the bed while he still tried to catch his breath. They rolled around, discarding their clothes as they kissed and caressed exposed skin. Jaime willingly rolled onto his stomach and thrust his ass into the air. Jim gave him a playful swat unprepared for the jolt of lust he received from the wanton moan Jaime expelled.

Jaime was happily fucked into the mattress twice before they finally fell asleep.

When Jim awoke in the morning, he looked down at the body in his arms and felt a pang of conscience. He was looking at the back of Jaime’s head when he realized that all he wanted in his arms was Bones. They’d never been like that, he and Bones, so Jim was unprepared for his desire for it.

He resolved to do anything to get his Bones back and not take advantage of any more of his...forms. Alternate selves. Past selves. Whatever. He slipped out of the bed and into the living area, pulling on his pants as he went. He resolved to keep his distance from the others; to behave himself.

It lasted until it was time for his next alternate Bones.

Jim’s week with Jaime went much the same as the first night, though they did learn a lot about each other in the quieter moments. Jim could actually see the vulnerability of Bones in Jaime, though Bones hid it well. Jim found that he cared for the kid, and his naivete, and hoped nothing too bad would happen to him once Bones was back to himself.

After a week with Jaime, Jim realized that he had no idea how to interact with the rest of them. He was led from his own chamber, after a brief meeting with Spock, to a different chamber on a different level of the compound. He realized that the person guiding him was also speaking to him and he pulled himself from his thoughts to listen.

“This Vaako is different, James-Captain. He makes lewd suggestions to the staff that is serving him and must be watched at all times.” Jim blinked and tried to picture any part of his Bones acting like that; he can’t. He listened to the servant speak.

“I wish you virility and stamina with this one, James-Captain.” The man actually blushed as he stopped in front of the door, gesturing at Jim to head inside. Jim looked wide eyed at him before stepping through the door and shutting it behind him.

The room is dark, like a cavern, and Jim has to squint to see where he is supposed to go. He makes his way down the hallway and realizes it is set up much like his own room, many levels above them. Cautious, he steps into the sitting area and sees the Vaako character on the low couch, watching him in the doorway.

“I have been waiting for you James.” Jim steps closer and allows his eyes to adjust to the low lighting. Vaako still looks like pure sex and violence, even seated quietly on the couch with his armor cast off to the side. Jim tries to find words but there are none to be found in his head.

After a week of sweet and mildly kinky sex (with feelings) with Jaime, Jim is at a loss for words when Vaako comes up off the couch and stalks closer to where he stands frozen. Their eyes meet and stay locked as Vaako comes closer and closer to him. When they are all but touching, Vaako finally stops and waits. Jim still has no words.

“Fine, you keep your voice from me James? I shall take what I desire from you then.” Vaako leaned forward and curled his tongue out from between his lips to flick at Jim’s closed mouth. Jim gasped and was rewarded with that tongue in his mouth as Vaako’s body pressed right up against his. Jim felt himself go weak in the knees at the forwardness-the sex exuding from the man currently trying to map the entirety of his mouth with just a clever, wicked tongue.

Jim felt himself unable to press forward, only let Vaako take what he wanted. Vaako pressed him backwards into the wall and Jim lifted his hands to hold onto the man’s hips. He whined when Vaako pulled out of the kiss, and got the filthiest smirk in response.

“So you might yet be able to tell me what you want. It is of no matter James. Come.” Jim was helpless to respond to that as he was roughly grabbed by the back of the neck and pulled into the equally dark bedroom off to the side. He allowed himself to be pushed onto the bed as Vaako looked down at him with his head tilted to the side, as though trying to decide something.

“I will have you and you will have me many times this week James. But only once will we get the pleasure of uncovering each other for the first time. So...it would please me for you to get up and remove your clothes. Slowly.” A trick of the light made it look as though the other man’s eyes were glowing as he sat himself on the end of the bed and turned to watch Jim stand.

With shaky fingers, Jim began to pull off his shirt and threw it behind him. Vaako said nothing in response, only nodded his head to make sure that Jim continued. As Jim held eye contact, he reached down to undo the button of his pants, wondering why he didn’t feel objectified. Instead he felt powerful and attractive. Sexy. He shifted his hips and allowed his pants to drop to the floor.

Vaako moved sinuously as he got up from the bed to prowl around Jim, who was fighting to keep still. The man paused behind Jim, and he could hear his breath catch before a finger was stroking along one of the deep scars that ran the length of Jim’s back.

“You are an exquisite piece of art James. Astonishing how you seem to have popped right out of my mind.” The teasing finger was followed by a tongue and Jim’s cock, which had flagged at the reminder of his scars, grew again. He felt Vaako push him towards the bed and he went, holding his arms out at the lest second to keep himself from falling on his face. Vaako’s touch never left his skin as Jim pulled himself up onto the bed fully.

He turned his head when he heard the sound of clothing being removed, and watched as Vaako disrobed and showed the hardened form of a warrior. His skin was glowingly pale and littered with scars. His body hair was sparse, but black against his milky skin. Jim tried to reach out and touch, but was stopped by another filthy grin.

“You shall have your turn James. First, I feel the need to worship the art of your form.” Jim pressed his suddenly hot face into the soft mattress as Vaako mounted the bed behind him. He felt feather light touches on the back of his neck, followed by the brushes of soft lips. The touches moved to his shoulders and Jim felt his whole body go tense.

“James, no. You are transcendent in your body. Hard lines and the form of a warrior, soft curves and the feel of a lover. You have scars and they move me.” He felt the touch of a tongue tracing the lines of the multiple scars that covered his back. He shivered and tried to relax. The tongue was gone and suddenly Vaako’s voice was right at his ear.

“Allow me to show you the beauty of your form.” Then it was gone and Jim marveled at how Vaako could reduce him to this quivering mess by tracing his back with fingertips and his tongue. Jim flexed his hips down into the mattress, the feel of his hot, hard cock on the soft bedspread making his eyes flutter.

Vaako moved down lower, until he was worshiping the dip of Jim’s lower back. Jim felt his breath leave him as that tongue traced along the crack of his ass before slipping inside. Deceptively soft fingers pulled him open and he was unable to do a thing but spread his legs. He could feel Vaako’s smile against his cheeks.

“Good boy James. Behave for me, give me your everything and I shall reward you.” The softly spoken promise sizzled through Jim like lightning as he felt the tongue breach his opening. He squirmed, trying to get more of that feeling, but the soft touches on his hips and ass became forceful and paralyzing. A moan burst out from between his lips at the feeling of being opened as he was held down.

“You like submitting to me James? Are you beginning to see what I can give to you?” Jim nodded into the mattress and pushed his hips backwards as much as Vaako’s grip would allow.

“Yes, good boy James. Let me see you, let me open you.” His words cut off as he pressed his tongue into Jim’s opening again and again, fucking Jim with it. Jim keened; it was not enough and too much all at once. He clenched and relaxed his sensitive muscles around the tongue, trying to pull it further into his body. He squealed when he felt the vibrations of Vaako’s dark laugh through his body.

Jim heard the pop of a tube of lube opening off to the side before feeling the slick slide of a finger along with Vaako’s clever, talented tongue. He pressed his hips back, asking for more as much as he was able and was rewarded with another vibrating chuckle.

“Soon enough my James, my priceless work of art.” Another finger pressed into him as Vaako moved to worship the scars on his back again. Jim squirmed under his touch but waited for what he was going to be given. He felt another smile against the sensitive skin of his lower back.

“Good boy James, you are learning. You deserve a reward now.” He heard the pop of the lube again and felt Vaako shifting on the bed behind him. He waited, unwilling to even let himself rut against the bed, lest Vaako change his mind and stop.

“Up up James.” He felt a tug on his hips and allowed himself to be guided onto his hands and knees. He could feel the heat of Vaako on his flank as he was maneuvered into the position that Vaako wanted. He gave a full throated groan when he felt the tip of Vaako’s cock pressed against him.

“Come back to me James. Fuck yourself back onto me my treasure.” Jim hung his head down as he pressed backwards, not stopping until he felt the press of Vaako’s hips on his ass. Then he waited. He felt a calming hand smooth from the nape of his neck down to his ass where they were joined.

“Good boy. You don’t mind if I take over from here?” Jim shook his head vehemently, trying to stop the trembling through his body. He felt deliberate fingers wrap firmly around his hips before Vaako let out a groan of his own and began not thrusting, but shoving Jim off and back onto his cock.

Jim yelped as, irregularly, Vaako managed to slide his cock along Jim’s prostate. It was not enough and too much again. Jim whined a question and was amazed that Vaako understood it.

“Touch yourself gorgeous. Come for me and I will return the favor.” Jim brought a shaky hand to his overheated cock and brushed his fingertips along it’s swollen length. Just as his thumb was ghosting over the tip, Vaako viciously slammed into his prostate once. Jim saw stars as he erupted over his hand and the bedspread.

“You clever boy, my good boy James” Vaako moaned as he used Jim’s twitching body to pull his own orgasm out. He pressed forward and ground his hips against Jim before withdrawing and letting himself fall to the side. Jim’s arms were locked and he struggled until Vaako reached a hand up and pulled Jim down onto the bed so that they were facing each other.

“Hello.” Jim breathed and was delighted to see Vaako smile.

“Ahh, my treasure, you can speak. I was beginning to wonder. Not that I dislike your sexy grunts and vocalizations but it would be difficult to spend a week with you if you didn’t speak at all.” Jim grunted and looked across the small space to examine the man.

“Yes James, we will be talking. I know that you shall ask about my life, my world and whatever else you think you need to know. For now, however, let us take rest together. We can start again in the morning.” Vaako actually reached over and smoothed his hand down JIm’s side before pulling Jim to him and twisting their limbs together as much as possible.

Jim learned, over the next week, that despite the enthusiastic topping he’d received in lieu of a greeting, Vaako was actually a power bottom. And oh, what that bottom could do to him; Jim’s dick nearly felt raw when the week was up. He learned that Vaako was shockingly sensitive under all that armor, and not just physically. He was passionate about what he believed and he had a great appreciation for art in it’s many forms. He saw the beauty in flaws all around him. Jim grew to care for him greatly and it pained him to leave.

Jim went to his own, private rooms and tried to reflect on what he’d learned. Jaime and Vaako were so wildly different and yet, he could clearly see Bones in each of them. Or the other way around. He just wanted his Bones back. It was all he could think about and he was only two weeks into this...nightmare.

He resolved to pay attention and stop simply caring for each of these impostors. He wanted his Bones back, that was what he had to focus on. He felt a sudden chill as he wondered if Bones would know what he’d said and done with each of his counterparts. Jim slid down into the hot bath he’d drawn for himself and wallowed in worry until it was time for him to move on.

The next morning, he was greeted at the door by the same man who’d been showing him around the castle since the beginning. Just as he opened his mouth to ask what the man’s name was, he realized that the nice man was speaking to him.

“This Caesar person is quite difficult to deal with. He is, forgive me, most unpleasant. I wish you luck James Captain.” Jim sighed internally. He remembered seeing this one and knew it was probably going to be an unpleasant week. Something occurred to him.

“How is Jaime?” The servant looked startled, before looking around nervously and lowering his voice.

“Whatever you have done, James Captain, has worked most well. The inner child is back where he belongs and your Doctor is one-sixth closer to being whole again. Here is your chamber for the next week James Captain. Best of luck.” Jim took a deep breath before entering the chamber.

There he was, just as Jim recalled, haughty and pissed off looking. Jim bit the inside of his cheek and refrained from being rude as Caesar gestured for him to come closer.

“Come closer to me. Are you yet another slave sent to torment me in some way, or are you true ... companionship? Speak, do you not have a brain in that over large head?” Jim stopped a few steps away from the nasty man and narrowed his eyes, contemplating his vow to himself. Anything to bring his Bones back. It was only a week.

“Oh mighty Caesar, yes, I have been sent for companionship for you. I do have a brain, though I am sure it is not as magnificent as yours. May I ask what you would have me do to entertain you?” Jim peeked up at the man’s face from under lowered lashes; his handsome face was smiling. Jim took a deep breath, ready to play this part for seven days and no longer.

“Oh yes, you will do well to entertain me. Do you have a name?” Jim closed his eyes so that he could roll them in frustration, before cautiously meeting the hazel green eyes that were so familiar and yet so different.

“My name is James, if it please you mighty Caesar.” Caesar gestured for him to turn around and Jim surprised himself at how quickly he felt himself get excited at being treated like a piece of meat. What did that say about him? He had no time for introspection, however, when he felt Caesar up against his backside, sliding his hands into Jim’s pants.

Jim had to force himself not to jerk away. He held his breath and waited for permission to move, or reciprocate or something, as the not-Bones stripped him naked where he stood.

“James, yes, you do please me. All of you pleases me. However, right now, what would please me most is the sight of you on your knees before me. Kneel before Caesar.” Jim felt his dick twitch at the command and he lowered himself to his knees, keeping his hands to himself but keeping his eyes locked on the cold, calculating ones of the man before him. Caesar tipped his head at Jim, who took that as a sign to get to work.

Jim slid his hands up the front of Caesar’s bare thighs, up under the toga-type ensemble he had on. Jim coyly bit his lip as he flipped the edge of the toga up and leaned forward to take just the tip of the other man’s swelling cock into his mouth. He suckled at the tip, feeling it grow as his jaw stretched to accommodate it. He took a deep breath through his nose and pressed his mouth forward, rolling his tongue on the underside as he went. Once his nose was pressed into Caesar’s dark, wiry hairs he looked up.

The man had his head turned all the way down and an assessing gaze on his face. Jim took it to be a challenge as he forced himself to swallow around the head of the not-insignificantly sized cock before pulling his way off.

“James, with a mouth like that you could be an excellent addition to my pleasure slaves.” Jim felt a shiver run up his spine at the thought of being used like this all the time. He sat back onto his heels and loosened his jaw, pulling at Caesar’s hips so the man would fuck his mouth. HE would and he did. It was brutal and glorious; Jim never thought that balls slapping at his chin would be an aphrodisiac but it certainly was.

By the time Caesar was pulling out of Jim’s mouth to come all over his face, JIm was panting with want. He felt the first splash of hot come across his cheeks and opened his mouth wide to catch as much as he could on his tongue. He groaned at the taste of it; the feel of it in his mouth was incredible when combined with the visual of Bones-not-Bones with a hand on his cock, aiming at his face. Jim reached down to grasp his own cock; it didn’t take much. The mental stimulation of the man in front of him was overwhelming his senses. Caesar was still stroking his cock when Jim spilled over his own fingers.

At the end of his week with Caesar, Jim had learned a lot about himself but not a lot about Bones. He could sort of see Bones’ ability to stay calm under pressure in Caesar’s manner and he could see Bones’ ease with being in control certainly. Caesar left him confused, in body and mind. It was a relief when he was led back to his rooms.

It was fascinating to him to see all of these men with Bones’ face and parts of his personality. He’d grown to care for Jaime and Vaako, but he truly wasn’t sure what he felt about Caesar. He’d seen glimpses of softness from the man, but overall he simply saw a man who let no one in close enough to see the true him.

Jim was already exhausted and he had a lot of work to do before he could have his CMO back and they could leave this planet. Spock had chosen not to come down to the planet for this week’s break and Jim was relieved by that. They’d vid-chatted earlier so Jim could give Spock an update for the admirals back at HQ.

Jim wasn’t prepared for the still unnamed servant to knock on his door, but he steeled his spine and marched out the door as though he were heading to his doom instead of another version of his best friend that he wasn’t ready to meet.

“James Captain, you shall like this next one. He is funny and charming. The staff is very taken with him and his manner. He is nice.” Jim paused the man in the middle of the hallway, to ask a question that had been bothering him since the beginning.

“When my Doctor McCoy is back to his whole self, will he have memories of the these six weeks?” The man looked down at the floor seemingly trying to choose the words to answer.

“That, James Captain, is something we don’t discuss. The people who have been chosen to receive this gift...do not speak of it except with the person who helped them come back to themselves. I am sorry.” Jim sighed, having been half-expecting an answer like that. He wordlessly gestured for the man to lead on.

They stopped in front of yet a different, non descript door. Except this one had people hovering around it, unlike the first few Jim had been sent to. There were all levels of staff near the door, with goofy smiles on their faces, waiting. Waiting for what Jim didn’t know until the door swung open and the Cupid Bones peeked his bleached-blonde head out, smiling.

“JIM! So happy that you’re finally here! C’mon inside and let’s get to know each other better. Sorry boys and girls, my dance card is full this week!” Jim blinked silently and watched as the now slightly more subdued workers left him alone. Cupid reached over, grabbed his upper arm and pulled him into the room.

Jim stumbled in to the room, exactly like the ones he’d seen before except this one was brightly lit. It was on the top floor of the building and the windows are open along with a small patio that he’d not seen in any of the rooms before. He wandered over to enjoy the view, taking advantage of the strange world’s sunlight for as long as he could.

“I think since I’ve got the wings and all, they figured I’d wanna be able to fly. I do wanna fly, but I’ve not taken anything other than a short hop. I was waiting for you.” Jim turned with surprise written all over his face.

“You wanna take me flying?” He whispered and watched as Cupid’s smile grew so wide that it almost looked like his face was glowing.

“You are the captain of a sky ship that traverses the stars. I thought that you would like to traverse the sky with me.” Jim bit his lip in thought; it sounded like perfection to him. He’d always wanted to fly when he was a kid; his favorite animals had always been winged ones. His favorite superheroes had been the ones that could fly.

“I would like nothing more than to fly through the sky with you.” Jim reached out a hand and placed it on Cupid’s stupidly muscled bicep, feeling the muscles flex as it lay there.

“Would you like to go now Jim, or have something to look forward to?” Jim felt, for the first time in three weeks, unable to make a decision because he had the option to choose. None of the other Bones’ had given him choices but this one, standing in front of him right now asking what he wanted, was the most like his Bones that it was painful for a moment. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, closing his eyes so he wouldn’t have to deal with tears falling.

“Jim no. Don’t be upset. I want you to be happy. I want for everyone to be happy. Please don’t cry. Come here.” Jim felt himself pulled into Cupid’s muscled arms and cuddled close. He even felt the wings come wrap around them both and, just for a second, it was like Bones was there. He let himself cry.

When he came back to himself, Cupid’s glowingly gorgeous face was smiling down on him as he reached to wipe the mess off Jim’s face. Cupid was patient with him, and overly kind. Jim felt cherished in a way he hadn’t for a long, long time. He wanted it all to be real; or he wanted it all to be over. He wanted his Bones back, his ship back, his life back. He hadn’t realized that he’d said any of these things aloud until Cupid responded.

“You know, I think we need a chocolate therapy session. Afterwards, if you feel up to it, we can go flying. Now, you go into the washroom there and splash some water on your face,I can feel how hot it is, and I’ll order up some treats.” Cupid released his wings so Jim could stumble into the bathroom.

He looked at himself in the mirror and wondered where all of this had come from. He’d been doing fine. He was tired, yes, but resolved to do what he had to do in order to get Bones back. He had no idea where the waterworks had come from. He resolved to be stronger. His resolve lasted until he saw Cupid on the couch with a veritable mountain of plated cookies and glasses of warm milk. Jim’s lip wobbled again.

“So, come here Jim. I know it’s hard but...will you tell me about this Bones person that is making you so...sad?” Jim sat down and reached for a cookie, pausing when it was halfway to his mouth. Talk about Bones? With...Cupid? Who is a part of Bones. He shrugged and shoved the whole cookie into his mouth to give himself time to think.

They talked for hours, long after the sun went down and the time for flying was past. Jim confessed everything to this Cupid; his feelings, his confusion, his lust, even his guilt for sleeping with Jaime, Vaako and Caesar. At the end, he was exhausted and Cupid could tell.

The big, gentle man picked him up from the couch and carried him into the bedroom, curling around him and petting Jim’s hair until he fell asleep. Jim hadn’t felt so loved and protected ever.

He awoke to the sound of singing from the kitchen area of the small suite. Jim stumbled out of bed, peeling off the clothes he’d slept in as he went, briefly stopping to pull on a soft pair of sleep pants. He knew he looked a mess, but couldn’t be bothered to care when he saw what was waiting for him. Cupid was in the kitchen, trying to make some kind of breakfast for the two of them. He’d removed his leather pants and kilt, preferring to pull on the soft sleep pants that the palace servants had left for them. They looked wrong on him somehow; the soft comfortable pants messing with his literal “sex god” image. Jim smiled anyway.

“Good morning Jim! I’m so glad that you slept well. We should have some kind of food soon and it looks to be a gorgeous day today so I was thinking that we could go for a fly once we’ve eaten!” Cupid was so exuberant, ready to smile and happy that Jim was unable to stop himself from going up to him and giving him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Cupid froze and looked down at Jim.

“Are you sure, Jim?” He husked. Jim nodded and placed another kiss on the other side of Cupid’s plush mouth. Jim felt Cupid’s lips curl up into a smile under his own and knew he’d made the right decision. He swept his lips sideways until they were properly kissing. Chaste, sweet rubbing of lips together and Jim couldn’t imagine why he’d felt unsure of himself about this.

He felt big, warm hands reach down and plant themselves on his hips before lifting him up into Cupid’s arms. Jim wrapped his legs around the other man’s hips and levered himself up fully. And then, they were flying.

Cupid held Jim close as he lifted them off the floor, hovering in the small kitchen space. He could tell that Jim was nervous, maybe even scared, as they began to move but Cupid held him tight. Cupid would never let Jim fall. He knew just what Jim needed.

Jim brushed his lips over Cupid’s shoulder and neck as they moved. He could feel the strength of Cupid’s arms around him as they moved through the sitting room and towards the patio doors. His heart was thundering as Cupid shifted him so that he could reach the door latch. Jim squeezed his eyes shut. And they were off.

They flew through the sky for hours, both in their sleep pants, probably giving the locals below them a good show, but neither cared. Jim thought that flying like this, in Cupid’s arms with no ship and no shuttle surrounding him, was the most amazing thing he’d even experienced. He found himself wishing that Bones was there to share it with him. Then he looked up at Cupid’s smiling face and realized that Bones sort-of was there.

They finally returned to Cupid’s room at dusk; both were warmed from the sun and the company, and ravenous to boot. They sat down to eat as Jim tried to organize his thoughts. They were jumbled at best as he gazed at the alter-ego of his best friend.

This man-he smiled all the time. He wanted Jim, and everyone else, to be happy above everything else. He was sweet, charming and stupidly gorgeous. And yet...in the past, Jim would have flirted up a storm, trying to get him into bed. And, while his body was certainly interested, he found himself hesitating. He just wanted...

“Cuddles. Cuddles and kisses.” Jim flushed a deep red when Cupid looked up from his own plate and Jim realized he’d spoken aloud.

  
“Well of course Jim. Cuddles and kisses as soon as we finish dinner and get into bed.” Jim ducked his head and shoveled food into his mouth to avoid having to speak. He looked up long enough to see Cupid wink at him, before he focused his eyes back on his plate.

They left the dishes in the sink and changed into another pair of soft sleeping pants that had been left for them. Cupid vanished his wings and sunk into the soft mattress as Jim watched in amazement. Cupid shrugged silently and patted the bed next to him in invitation and Jim scrambled to oblige.

Cupid pulled Jim to him, chest to chest as he tangled their legs together. Jim sighed in comfort and reached up to stroke his fingers through the scruffy beard on Cupid’s chin. That’s when Jim’s mouth decided to run away from him again.

“You’re all Bones and yet you’re not. I just don’t get it. Do you...do you know what’s going on? I mean, who you really are? Are you past lives or...what?” Cupid smiled at Jim and softly kissed his fingertips when they neared his soft lips.

“Not really, no. We are manifestations of his-well, our-personality. Think of it as how we were introduced to you: Jaime is the inner child; John Kennex is the peacekeeper; Caesar is the leader; I’m the lover; Vaako is the sinner and Eomer is the warrior/protector. At some level all six of us know what’s going on. For some reason, it’s all close to the surface for me. We can talk about it if you want to.” Jim stared at him, this man that was Bones’ loving side. He levered himself up onto his elbows and kissed those plush, inviting lips. Cupid exhaled a soft, happy noise and wrapped his arms around Jim’s back, pulling their bodies closer together.

They traded soft kisses for what felt like a small eternity to Jim before he rested his head on Cupid’s smooth chest and fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

Jim learned a lot about what he was supposed to be doing that week, how he should be breaking through the various walls that Bones had set around himself. Cupid helped Jim realize some of what Bones meant to him; just how important Leonard McCoy was to James Kirk. Now he just had to succeed in getting him back, and whole.

While Jim was upset to leave behind Cupid, he felt so uplifted and positive about the whole week that he didn’t delay when the servant, whom he finally learned was named Lyndell, showed up to escort him back to his room. Jim briefly asked about Vaako and Caesar and was given the same vague answer that he’d received about Jaime all those weeks ago.

He felt renewed, refreshed and ready from his week with Cupid. He took his time bathing and getting ready for his upcoming week. He didn’t know who he’d be with but he thought he was ready. He wasn’t wrong but he wasn’t right either.

This time Lyndell didn’t lead him to another room in the castle, but outside. They walked quietly for some time, finally reaching a garden surrounded by a tall hedge. Lyndell gestured him forward.

“He has been told of your approach, James Captain. Fare thee well.” With that vague farewell, Lyndell walked away and Jim watched him go in confusion. Jim crept silently towards the break in the hedge, trying to peek around the corner. When he finally saw the man inside, his breath caught in his throat. He was about to spend a week with Eomer.

Eomer was alone in the garden with a sword in his hand. He was stripped naked to the waist, muscles glistening with sweat in the foreign sun. He wore soft leggings and Jim was fascinated by the way they clung to his legs and backside as he worked.

Jim cleared his throat to announce his presence and crept a little closer. Eomer turned, a cold look on his face, with his sword pointed at Jim’s heart. Recognition flashed in his eyes and he dropped the tip of his sword and allowed Jim to come closer. Jim bit the inside of his lip and tried to keep his eyes from roving along all the exposed skin. He stuck out his hand and waited.

Caution flashed across Eomer’s face but he reached out and grasped Jim’s forearm. Jim tried not to wince as Eomer’s strong fingers dug into his soft flesh.

“James, I have been waiting for you. I was informed that we are to spend a half fortnight together.” Jim nodded.

“Yeah, you know, to get to know each other. That kind of thing. So...” Jim searched his brain for a conversation starter and tried not to be saddened by the loss of Eomer’s touch on his skin.

“Sword fighting huh? Would you like to teach me how to handle a sword?” Jim flushed as Eomer raised a sardonic eyebrow.

“I am not sure that seven days and seven nights are time enough for that, if you have no previous training James, but we can attempt.” Eomer called out to the palace staff that had been hiding nearby and asked for another sword.

The first afternoon was spent fighting until Jim thought his arm would fall off. Eomer took pity on him and called a halt long before dusk. They headed inside to Eomer’s rooms on the first floor. Eomer graciously drew Jim a bath in the washroom.

“I remember well my first day of training, soak well James. I shall call for dinner.” Jim sank into the hot, scented water and let it soothe his abused muscles. He poked at his soft stomach and thought that maybe Bones was right and he’d let himself go. He dozed off without realizing it.

Eomer wandered into the washroom to find Jim asleep in the bath. He laughed as he pulled the soggy, naked man from the tub and brought him into the bedroom. In a true testament to just how tired Jim was, he slept through being dried off, dressed and placed into bed. Eomer tucked him in and reached over to brush a damp curl of hair off Jim’s face before retreating into the sitting room for the night.

Eomer sat on the couch deep in thought for most of the night. This James, he fought well and could clearly protect himself. He was intelligent and amusing as well. All admirable traits. Eomer was not surprised to find himself attracted to the man with golden hair and sunshine smile. But he was wary; cautious about giving himself to one such as Jim. Physically, he could share himself. Emotionally he was still undecided. Eomer drifted off to sleep on the couch with thoughts of past heartache tumbling through his head.

Jim awoke in the morning groaning at his sore muscles. He whined like a child as he forced himself out of the soft, warm bed and wandered out to find Eomer. Eomer was just tucking in to breakfast when Jim blearily made his way to the table.

“Good morning James. I must apologize for tiring you so much yesterday. Come, please, and eat. You must be ravenous.” Jim felt his mouth begin to water as Eomer pushed a full plate in front of him and he ate so fast that he nearly choked. After eating more food than he would normally eat in a whole day, he pushed his chair back and sighed as Eomer smiled at him. He looked back sheepishly.

“No, Eomer, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how out of shape I am.” Eomer moved quickly, leaning forward across the table and placing a hand on Jim’s arm. Though Eomer wanted to stay aloof and protect himself, he wanted to protect Jim too. Jim should not say such things about himself; did he not see how lovely he was?

“You are not out of shape James. You are merely used to different forms of battle than I. Perhaps we could work together on hand-to-hand combat tomorrow when you’ve rested more. Mine armor doesn’t lend itself to that style of fight and I would always like to improve.” Jim’s mouth went dry at the thought of “hand to hand” with the impressive specimen in front of him, both from desire and nerves. He made a show of looking Eomer up and down.

“...Somehow I doubt that Eomer. But sure, tomorrow.” Jim got up from the table and grabbed their plates heading into the kitchen area. Eomer followed him silently and Jim jumped when he felt Eomer’s heat against his back where he stood at the sink.

“James...” Eomer breathed into the hair behind Jim’s ear and he shivered, unprepared for the sizzle of lust running up his spine.

“I was contemplating spending today in other worthwhile physical pursuits. Mayhap we will even speak at some point.” Jim dropped the dished and gripped the sides of the sink hard when he felt Eomer’s lips on the bare skin of his shoulder.

Jim moaned and leaned his head to the side to give Eomer more access to his neck. Eomer wasted no time, gripping Jim’s hips hard and rutting against his ass just as Jim arched into Eomer’s touches. The grip on his hips shifted and he allowed himself to be turned so they were facing each other.

“Is this acceptable James? I do not take what is not willingly given.” Jim nodded and went up onto his toes to kiss Eomer in agreement. Eomer reached down and cupped Jim’s ass in his large hands, picking Jim up off the floor and into his arms. Jim almost flailed to escape but Eomer’s kisses melted his will and he allowed himself to be carried back into the bedroom.

Eomer kicked out and slammed the door shut behind him as he made his way to the bed. Jim was completely unprepared for how arousing it was to be carried around like he weighed nothing. At odds with the fierce way he was behind held, Jim felt himself being gently lowered onto the bed, and all without breaking their steamy kiss.

Jim shuddered as he felt Eomer’s beard rub the skin around his mouth raw. Eomer finally pulled away to pull off the loose tunic-like shirt he was wearing off and toss it to the floor. Jim reached up with both hands to feel the exposed skin before Eomer ducked back down and mouthed his way along JIm’s chest and stomach.

“Eomer please....” Jim whined, unaware of what he was asking for. He could feel the tips of Eomer’s long hair tickling his hips as Eomer mouthed at the tie to his sleep pants.

“Shush James, you shall not go wanting. Do you know how to ride?” Eomer purred into Jim’s hip and Jim twisted his hips for more contact. He felt Eomer’s tongue slide under the waist of his pants. Jim opened his glassy eyes and looked down at the smiling warrior who was undoing the tie to Jim’s pants with his teeth. Jim bucked his hips up, rubbing his clothed erection across Eomer’s face.

Jim reached down and grabbed Eomer’s shoulders, pulling him back up the length of his body until their lips could meet. He slipped his tongue into the Eomer’s mouth, needing to taste him again. Jim wanted to lick him all over; wanted to taste his sweat, saliva and come. He pushed Eomer back as hard as he could, surprising the other man until he flopped onto his back. Jim jumped up and straddled him.

“In fact, Eomer, I do know how to ride.” Jim swiftly pulled his pants off along with Eomer’s. He turned around and put his face into the soft skin at the top of Eomer’s thigh. He rubbed his head along the length of the warrior’s cock as he wiggled his ass in the other man’s face.

“I’ll give you the ride of a lifetime Eomer, if you prep me while I get you good and wet.” With that, Jim wrapped his hand around the base of Eomer’s cock and angled it between his lips. He groaned when he felt it press against his soft palate and that was enough to get Eomer moving.

Eomer rocked his hips gently, urging his not insubstantial cock deeper into Jim’s mouth even as he covered his own fingers with saliva and teased the tips around Jim’s opening. He slid one finger in as far as it could go, loving the way that Jim’s body stretched to accommodate him. Jim pulled off Eomer’s cock and groaned.

“Faster Eomer, I’m not gonna break. You can’t hurt me here.” Jim groaned. Eomer doubted that statement, but pulled his finger out of Jim’s hot body to slide two back in. He scissored them apart, watching the muscles react and waiting until he thought that Jim was ready. He pulled out his two fingers and slipped three back in, amazed by how little lubrication Jim seemed to need. Jim was now writhing on top of him and Eomer wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait to see Jim riding him. He pulled his fingers out and gave Jim’s plump behind a sharp slap, loving the way Jim’s skin reddened instantly.

He wordlessly urged Jim to turn around and mount him and Jim happily obliged him. Jim turned to face Eomer and reached behind him to guide his sloppy wet cock into his entrance. He pushed up onto his knees and sank back down with a grateful moan, loving the burn and stretch he felt as he sunk down. He felt Eomer grab his hips hard as he bottomed out.

“Fuck James. Ride me, ride hard.” Jim placed his hands on Eomer’s chest and let his legs to the work as he rose up and sunk back down, never able to find a rhythm. He stuttered and gasped as he bottomed out again and rotated his hips to make Eomer’s cock grind against his prostate.

“t-t-touch me. Please Eomer.” Jim breathed. Eomer took one hand off Jim’s hip and licked it before grabbing Jim’s weeping cock, almost too roughly. He twisted his palm across the tip and Jim was gone, shooting all over Eomer’s hand and stomach.

“James...” Eomer groaned as Jim went limp on top of him. Jim felt himself be lifted up as Eomer arched his hips and fucked up into Jim’s sated body hard. He felt a clench and stutter as Eomer came deep inside of him.

Jim fell to the side, collapsing off Eomer, sweaty and sated in a way he hadn’t been in a long time. He took a moment to catch his breath before turning sleepily to reach for the other mind only to see that Eomer was up and leaving the room. Jim frowned at his naked back and stood on wobbly legs to follow Eomer into the bathroom. He stood in the doorway and watched Eomer clean up, both of them silent. Jim didn’t know what he was waiting for but he was certain that he was waiting for something.

Eomer finished dressing and turned to regard Jim in all his debauched, unclothed glory. He felt his heart clench as he beheld Jim’s loveliness and inwardly cursed his weakness of flesh that had led to the situation. He steeled himself for a harsh reaction from Jim, but got nothing except for a tilted head and a considering, intelligent expression. He edged his way past Jim, still in the doorway, and headed into the sitting room preparing for a fight that would never come.

“I know what you’re doing and it’s okay. You, and Bones, seem to think that hiding away is the same as protecting yourself. It is, but it’s really not. Just know this: Eomer, Bones, Vaako...you’re all the same man. And you all know me, James Kirk. I care for you and that is not going to change. So protect yourself, hide away, do whatever you gotta do. I’m not going anywhere.” Jim held his head high as he turned and nakedly made his way back into the bedroom.

The rest of the week that Jim spent with Eomer was exhausting, physically and emotionally. Eomer loosened up a little bit after Jim called him out but he still held himself aloof. Jim wasn’t sure if it was because he wasn’t sure of himself or Jim. Jim tried not to let it bother him but couldn’t help the small part of his heart that was hurting that any version of Leonard McCoy kept something from him. He departed Eomer with a slightly heavy heart.

Spock and Uhura were waiting in his rooms when he returned. Spock informed Jim that he’d taken the liberty of making sure that all of the crew received shore leave during Jim and Leonard’s ordeal. Jim nodded absently as he rubbed at his hip, still able to feel Eomer’s phantom fingertips pressing there. He looked up when he realized that Uhura had asked him a question and he’d not even known she was speaking. She smiled at him and repeated her question.

“How is it going Jim? Are we going to get our CMO back in one piece? How have you been spending your time here, with them?”

Jim opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He suddenly realized what Lyndell had been saying when he told Jim that no one talked about this process. He didn’t want to share what he’d done and learned with anyone besides Bones. He looked up at Spock and Uhura’s smiling, expectant faces.

“It seems to be going well.” He bit his lip at their matching incredulous faces; they’d been expecting more from the man that was usually an open book and the master of too much information.

“Sorry guys I can’t...can’t talk about it yet. Maybe never. I just...it’s really personal to me and to Bones and I...need you both to trust me when I say it’s going well.” He pulled himself to his feet and headed into his bathroom knowing Lyndell would be there soon to take him to John Kennex.

When Jim stepped into the room, he was unprepared for the way his heart clenched at the sight of the man in front of him. It was Bones from back in the academy days. He was lounging on the couch in boxers and a soft tee shirt, hair tousled and standing up all over form running his hands through it. Jim had a powerful flashback and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself.

“Hey, c’mon in. You okay Jim?” Jim heard and was horrified to feel tears in his eyes. Even the voice and accent were nearly spot on. He closed his eyes for a moment, willing his tears away. When his eyes reopened he was looking into John’s concerned face and it made a lump form in his throat; he’d seen Bones look at him like that countless times. He cleared his throat and tried to look away from the soulful green eyes that he knew so well.

“....Yeah, fine. Tired I guess, been running around a lot over the last five weeks.” Jim and John both knew that his smile was forced, but both of them let it go.

“Sorry that I didn’t, you know, get dressed or anything. I mean, I knew you were coming by but...” John trailed off and shrugged, running a hand over the back of his neck. They stood awkwardly for a moment, not speaking or even looking at each other until John turned away and gestured into the sitting room. Jim followed and they say, each waiting for the other to break the silence.

“So how have you been spending --”  
“Dammit, Jim what are we supposed to --”

Jim and John stopped talking at the same time, laughing at themselves. And, just like that, it was easy. Though he had a different back story in his head, it was Bones sitting there. They talked non-stop for nearly 24 hours, not sleeping or eating in their haste to speak with each other. John was funny, sarcastic, smart, fiercely opinionated and perfect.

The thought came to Jim as he lay in bed finally, trying to drift off. They’d finally decided to try and get some sleep and retired to the bedroom. Jim had the left and John had the right side of the bed, they were decidedly not touching or cuddling in anyway. Suddenly that thought was floating in Jim’s head and, despite the lack of sleep in the previous 24 hours, Jim was wide awake.

How was John perfect?

He was flawed, as was Jim, and all people. What made that thought pop into Jim’s head? Where had it come from? He slowly turned on his side so he could regard John’s sleeping face. Jim wanted to run his fingers through his hair; trace the lines of his face; kiss his eyelids and nose and lips. Jim actually hurt from holding back, unsure if his advances would be welcome. He was hit with another flashback memory-this one fierce enough to make him gasp for air.

Academy days: they’d gone out celebrating Bones’ passing his shuttle sim. They’d had a great time that night and Jim had stayed with his friend the whole time, turning down every offer for “fun times” sent his way. They’d stumbled back to the dorm early in the morning, squinting in the low light and giggling at each other.

They’d finally gotten into their dorm and drunkenly tumbled onto the same bed, Leo on his back and Jim on his side facing him. Jim had reached out and trailed his fingertips over Bones’ face in wonderment. How had he never realized how beautiful Bones was? Jim knew he was hot and brilliant and funny, but beautiful was a new thought. Bones had turned to look at Jim while Jim’s fingers were still tracing his lips. Jim hadn’t known what the look in his eyes was at the time, but he knew now; love.

“Don’t do that now kid. You’ll regret it in the morning.” Jim had been horny and knew that he cared deeply for Bones but he was certain that he hadn’t felt the same thing he’d seen in Bones’ eyes. So he’d dropped his hand and they’d never spoken of it. But now...

Jim was in love with Bones;all of Bones. He was as certain of that as the fact that his name was James Kirk. He didn’t know what to do with that knowledge. Bones had felt that for him a long time ago; they’d both grown and changed. Jim had fucked it all up at the time and what if Bones didn’t feel that way anymore? What was Jim going to do?

“Jimmy, I c’n hear you thinkin.” John mumbled from his side of the bed. Jim started guiltily for waking him.

“Sorry, I’ll head out to the couch.” Jim was stopped from getting up by a heavy arm over his chest. He looked at John confusedly.

“Talk to me.” John said softly, all traces of sleep gone from his handsome face. Jim allowed himself to reach up and recreate that touch from all those years ago.

“I’m in love with you.” Jim whispered and John smiled beautifully before leaning down to press their lips together. He pulled back, still with a small smile on his face.

“I know that kid. Go to sleep for me?” John rested his head on Jim’s chest as Jim looked down at the tousled hair in amazement. Jim dozed off while carding his fingers through that hair.

Jim didn’t wake alone the next morning, as he’d feared. He still had one hand in the messy hair of the man who was lounging on his chest and smiling up at him. John moved slowly, as though he didn’t want to frighten Jim, and pecked him on the lips.

“Good morning. You finally got to sleep last night?” John asked and Jim nodded in response, still trying to wake up. John smiled and kissed him again for being adorable in the morning.

“Good. Now, let’s get some food, I’m starving.” John levered himself up and out of bed, slowly making his way into the kitchen area. Jim stared at him, trying to get his muddled brain to start working.

He’d admitted that he was in love with Bones, all of Bones, last night and John had acted like...well, like he’d known that and was just waiting for Jim to realize it. Had Jim been in love with his best friend for a long time? How was he going to deal with it once Bones was back to himself?

“Jimmy c’mon. Someone brought us breakfast which is a damn good thing cause I can’t cook to save my life. I order a mean take out though.” John said as he wandered back into the bedroom.

Jim was staring up at the ceiling with unseeing eyes and John’s heart melted a little bit. Poor guy, angsting over things that are gone and in the past. He walked to the bed on silent feet and waved a hand in front of Jim’s face.

“Instead of worrying about ancient history, why don’t you come eat with me and we will talk about what you can do now.” Jim blinked up at him and nodded absently, tugging the covers to one side of the bed so that he could get up. John reached out and cupped his arm as he got out of the bed and Jim felt a shock of electricity.

“C’mon now, food’s gonna get cold. I hate cold eggs.” John released Jim’s arm and walked away, letting Jim decide for himself if he could follow. He could.

They ate in silence, both trying to inhale their food as fast as possible, since neither one knew what the day would bring and they both wanted to be ready. John finished first and pushed his plate away, looking over at Jim in thought for a moment.

“I know what you remembered last night. You didn’t screw things up. What would have messed things up is if you’d persisted. Stopping when you did...well, it saved your friendship.” Jim looked up, cheeks bulging comically with a mouthful of food. John smiled at him.

“You don’t need to fix anything. I’m just...well I’m in a good mood and I figure I could give you some advice, if you want it?” Jim shook his head yes as he swallowed the food.

“Yes..I...yes. Advice.” John looked at him, hoping for more elaboration but not shocked when he didn’t get any.

“You’re best friends. You have so much history together. Good times, bad times, supporting each other...but now you’ve realized that you’re in love with him. Wanna hear a secret? He’s still in love with you too.” Jim flushed happily when John leaned in to whisper that conspiratorially.

“Don’t let that change the two of you. It’s just sex. Granted, it’ll be some amazing, off the charts, make you see stars sex, but it’s still just sex.” John got up from the table to deposit their dishes in the sink.

“What should we do today Jimmy? You wanna see if we can get into some trouble? I’ve been bored outta my mind waiting here for you and could use a little fun.” Jim laughed at just how much that sounded like Bones from back in the academy and it gave him a brilliant idea.

“You know....Spock and Uhura are on planet for shore leave this week. I haven’t pranked anyone in a long time, if you’re up for it.” John grinned at him.

“You’re on Jimmy. Let’s go get them.” They giggled as they rushed to dress before calling for Lyndell and asking the man where Spock and Uhura were staying. Clearly, Lyndell didn’t want to share the information, but Jim wore him down in the end. Jim doesn’t believe in no-win scenarios.

Spock and Uhura were spending some much needed quality quiet time alone in their room. They didn’t appreciate the knocking on the door every fifteen minutes. Nor the tapping on the window every twenty one minutes. They really didn’t like the fact that servants were sent to check on them every hour on the hour and when they finally saw Jim and John giggling in the hallway, Uhura flipped them the bird before saying some very unflattering things in Klingon.

Spock, apparently, liked hearing her speak Klingon so much that he came to the door nude to pull her back inside and shut the door firmly. Jim declared himself scarred for life and John wondered why his dick was green. Won’t it fall off? Thinking about gangrene dicks did little to dampen their amusement however, and they giggled like kids all the way back to John’s room.

The week with John was the best week Jim could remember having in a long time. He felt like a kid again. They talked, ate, drank, fooled around a little and basically spent the entire week having fun. Smiling. Jim’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. When it came time to say goodbye to John, Jim’s smile faded for the first time since their first morning together.

“Is it weird to say that I wish you didn’t have to go?” Jim asked at the door. John shook his head in the negative.

“Nah. Is it too cheesy to say that I’ll be there with you?” Jim shook his head.

“Nah. Will you...will you wish me luck? With Bones tomorrow?” John smiled sadly and pecked Jim on the lips one last time.

“Yeah, but you wont need it. Goodbye Jim.” Jim traced his fingertips over John’s face.

“Goodbye John.” Jim allowed John to shut the door in his face before he tried to find his rooms on his own. He needed to sulk for a while. He slunk into his rooms in a mildly foul mood only to see that Spock and Uhura decided to exact their revenge by filling his tub with something resembling green jello. Jim sighed and flopped onto his bed instead of taking the bath he’d been looking forward too.

If he’d done his job right, in less than 24 hours, he would have his Bones back and could tell him everything. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and did something he’d not done since he was a child; he prayed.

They were standing in the room where this whole crazy adventure started six weeks previous. The leader and the two priests were next to the altar while Spock and Jim stood towards the back of the room. Jim kept bringing his fingers up to his mouth and chewing on his nails in nervousness and Spock kept calmly reaching over and pulling his hands away from his mouth.

“The only way I’m gonna stop Spock is if you hold my hands or this is over already. And I think Uhura might have a problem with you making out with me.” Jim joked, but it fell flat when Spock didn’t even raise an eyebrow at him. Jim started and turned towards the altar when he heard the chanting prayer begin. He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and bit down hard.

The chanting stopped and Spock had to hold Jim’s arms to keep him from running up to the altar. Bones was back. Jim’s eyes watered as he refused to blink lest Bones vanish again while he wasn’t looking. His heart was beating like a drum as he watched Bones sit up on the altar and look around the room.

When their eyes caught and held across the distance, Jim felt like he could breathe again. He broke from Spock’s hold on his arms and ran towards Bones who was getting himself to his feet. Jim stopped just a breath away and allowed himself to just look at Bones; breathe him in. He loved the way that Bones smelled like fresh air and pine trees. He loved the way that he smiled at Jim shakily. He loved the way that he shook off the priests’ hold on his arm. He loved everything about the man in front of him and let it all show on his face.

“Bones...I...I missed you.” Jim exhaled.

“Jim.” Bones acknowledged before closing the small gap between the two of them and taking Jim’s face between his big, warm, legendary hands. He placed a trembling kiss on Jim’s lips before pulling back with a question in his eyes.

“Yes.” Jim answered and was awed by the way Bones’ face lit up delightedly. They kissed again, taking their time, breathing each other in, learning each other’s mouths. Jim heard mumbles from the priests but couldn’t care less because Bones, his Bones, was back and kissing him like he’d never wanted to do anything else in his whole life.

It was a revelation.

Jim reluctantly broke the kiss and turned to Spock, slightly out of breath, and savored the incredulous look on Spock’s face. He tucked an arm around Bones back, gripping his hip hard, never wanting to let go.

“Let’s go home.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sad to see this challenge be over. I've never done anything like this before. So much love to wewillspockyou for asking me to do this challenge with her. I can actually see myself become a better writer because of you and I just love you for it. Thank you. Thank you also to readithoney for being the BEST beta ever! Any typos found are my fault due to rewrites.


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